US evacuates civilians from Iraq

At this moment, an emergency evacuation of employees of the American oil field is underway in Iraq. The rescue operation of civilians is taking place against the backdrop of the complicated situation in the country after the assassination of the Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC, elite units of the Iranian Armed Forces) Qassem Soleimani, France-Presse reports.

Earlier, the US Embassy in Baghdad called on American citizens to leave Iraq ASAP.

"In connection with the increasing tension in Iraq and the region, the US Embassy [in Baghdad] calls on American citizens to pay attention to the travel warning for January 2020 and leave Iraq immediately," the statement issued on Friday by the American diplomatic mission informs.

It is clarified that US citizens should come back to their homeland by plane, "if possible, and if unsuccessful, use land transport to get to another country," TASS reports.

In addition, it became known that the embassy also suspends the provision of consular services until further notice. "US citizens should not approach the embassy," the diplomatic mission emphasized.

The U.S. State Department reported the killing of senior Iranian general by U.S. president Donald Trump’s order to prevent attacks from Iran. In turn, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the assassination of Soleimani would lead to a more fierce confrontation between the Islamic Republic and the United States.