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The US embassy in Baghdad has warned that Iran and its proxies may intend to target American universities in Iraq and could also try to kidnap US citizens.
Urging Americans to leave the country “immediately”, the embassy said in a security alert on X that the university targets could include in Baghdad, the city of Sulaymaniyah and the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Dohuk as well as other “universities perceived as connected to the United States”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened earlier on Monday to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had deliberately targeted two Iranian universities.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement published by Iranian media:
If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation ... it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time.
The US embassy’s alert also said Iran and its proxies were likely to try to carry out further attacks against US-associated targets throughout Iraq, including diplomatic facilities, universities, businesses, energy infrastructure and other sites.
The alert said in Arabic (translated here):
Iran-aligned terrorist armed groups have also attacked commercial airports and hotels frequented by foreigners. These groups may attempt to kidnap Americans.
The threat of rockets, drones, and mortars persists in Iraqi airspace. U.S. citizens should depart Iraq immediately.
