President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he expects Iraq to “use its forces” to protect the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as he blamed Iran for orchestrating an “attack” that breached the wall of the compound.
Iraqi supporters of pro-Iran factions protested at the Embassy on Tuesday, chanting “Death to America,” throwing rocks, tearing down security cameras and setting a sentry box ablaze in anger over weekend air strikes that killed two dozen fighters.
It was the first time in years that protesters have been able to reach the U.S. embassy, which is sheltered behind a series of checkpoints in the high-security Green Zone.
“We expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!” Mr. Trump tweeted, saying Iran “will be held fully responsible” for the unrest.
In his tweet, Mr. Trump said the U.S. had “strongly responded” to the attack that killed the U.S. contractor, and “always will.”
Relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated since the U.S. pulled out of the landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2018, imposing sweeping sanctions.
The Iraqi government on Monday denounced the weekend strikes and warned they could affect ties with Washington, which later that day accused Baghdad of having failed to protect U.S. interests. “It’s their responsibility and duty to protect us. And they have not taken the appropriate steps to do so,” a senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity.
