ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s foreign minister on Tuesday called on Washington to review its travel warnings to Iraq, citing an improved security situation and investment opportunities, during a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas. 

During a Baghdad meeting, Minister Fuad Hussein “called for a review of travel warnings to Iraq, given the improved security situation in the country, and for facilitating investment opportunities,” the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement. 

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 country is reviewed biannually by US authorities. Washington provides “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to US citizens” as the reasons behind the listing. 

Rigas arrived in Baghdad on Sunday as part of his Middle East tour, where he is also set to inaugurate the new US Consulate General in Erbil – the largest compound of its kind in the world. 

The US embassy said his visit is to “strengthen US-Iraq ties through engagement with leaders and communities” and “meet with top Iraqi officials, tour US diplomatic facilities, and inaugurate the new Consulate General in Erbil.” 

Hussein praised the opening of the new consulate in Erbil and “stressed the need to reopen the US Consulate in Basra,” which was shut down in September 2018 due to security concerns and threats blamed on Iran-backed militias. 

The new Erbil compound also features a residential village to allow a portion of embassy staffers to live on site, featuring “apartment buildings, townhouses, and a hotel,” according to the Washington-based architecture firm Page, which designed the facility. 

The US Consulate General officially opened in 2011, upgrading Washington's diplomatic presence in the Kurdistan Region from a Regional Construction Team that had been based in the Kurdish capital since 2007.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas on Tuesday to discuss de-escalation in the Middle East and Baghdad’s role in regional stability – Statement

“Regas expressed the United States’ appreciation for the… pic.twitter.com/D06OXe4hBP

— The New Region (@thenewregion) December 2, 2025

Washington has recently upped its investment in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. A US-based consulting firm is jointly managing the major Development Road Project through a detailed plan in cooperation with Baghdad. 

On Monday, Iraq invited major US oil companies to bid on managing the massive West Qurna 2 oilfield in Basra province – one of the world’s largest oil fields. 

In May, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani presided over the signing of two major energy deals between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and US-based companies HKN Energy and WesternZagros, totaling $110 billion.