Militiamen breach US Embassy in Baghdad, Trump blames Iran

BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters broke into the United States Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, angered over deadly American airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed militia.

US guards fired tear gas and palls of smoke rose over the grounds.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main embassy building.

There was a fire at the reception area near the compound’s parking lot but it was unclear what had caused it.

A man on a loudspeaker urged the mob not to enter the compound, saying: “The message was delivered.”

President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the embassy breach and called on Iraq to protect the diplomatic mission.

“Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”he tweeted from his estate in Palm Beach, Florida. 

There were no reports of casualties, but the unprecedented breach was one of the worst attacks on the embassy in recent memory.

It followed deadly US airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah.

The US military said the airstrikes were in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it had blamed on the militia. 

The developments represent a major downturn in Iraq-US relations that could further undermine US influence in the region and also weaken Washington’s hand in its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.