ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The US on Wednesday advised US nationals not to visit Iraq, maintaining a code red travel warning for the country amid heightened tensions in the region and Washington’s “limited ability to provide emergency services” to citizens in Iraq.

The US State Department earlier on Wednesday told The New Region that it had opted to reduce its mission in Iraq in the interest of the safety of its personnel based on its latest analysis of the regional situation.

“President [Donald] Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce our mission in Iraq,” a spokesperson for the State Department told The New Region.

The State Department’s Iraq travel advisory said, “Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the US government’s limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Iraq. Do not travel to Iraq for any reason."

The advisory continues to say that "terrorist and insurgent groups regularly attack Iraqi security forces and civilians" and that "anti-US militias threaten US citizens and international companies." 

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters that American personnel are being moved out of the Middle East “because it could be a dangerous place,” reiterating that Washington will “not allow” Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh on Wednesday threatened that the US “will be forced to leave the region” if it decides to pursue any “aggression” against Tehran in the event of a breakdown in the nuclear talks.

“If the negotiations do not reach a conclusion and a conflict is imposed on us, the casualties of the other side will certainly be far greater than ours, and in that case, America will be forced to leave the region because all of its bases are within our reach and we have access to them, and we will target them all in the host countries without consideration,” said Nasirzadeh.

Iraq’s proximity and close ties to Iran have rendered the country unable to strike a balance between the US and Iran in terms of international relations, with Baghdad facing mounting pressure from the US to limit its ties to Tehran, including the disarming of Iran-backed militia groups.

Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups claimed hundreds of attacks against Israeli and American targets between October 2023 and October 2024 in response to the war in Gaza.

The US State Department categorizes countries into four distinct travel advisories, ranging from Level 1, wherein its citizens are urged to "exercise normal precautions," to the "do not travel" warning of Level 4.

 Iraq's classification as a Level 4 or code red country is reviewed biannually by US authorities.