US State Department Tells Kurdistan24 of Staffing Adjustments at Iraq Mission
“The Department continuously reviews the security posture at our diplomatic missions around the world,” a State Department spokesperson said in a response provided to Kurdistan24 on background.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United States is preparing to restore staffing levels and scale back emergency security measures at several diplomatic missions in the Middle East, including its embassy in Iraq, according to a State Department response to Kurdistan24.
The State Department said it is adjusting its staffing posture at certain posts in the region following a review of security conditions.
“The Department continuously reviews the security posture at our diplomatic missions around the world,” a State Department spokesperson said in a response provided to Kurdistan24 on background.
“Based on our latest assessment, we are adjusting our staffing posture at certain posts in the Middle East to ensure we can continue advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives while protecting the safety and security of our personnel,” the spokesperson said.
The department said decisions regarding authorized departure (AD) or ordered departure (OD) are based on evolving security conditions, with the safety of personnel and their families remaining its “highest priority.”
According to The New York Times, an internal State Department document lists Iraq alongside Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman and Kuwait among the regional missions slated to restore higher staffing levels.
For Iraq, the document reportedly sets an initial staffing ceiling of 75 percent of normal levels at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a limit also applied to Kuwait and Bahrain.
However, restrictions on family members accompanying diplomatic personnel to Iraq and Gulf countries will remain in place as security assessments continue.
The planned adjustments follow months of heightened security concerns in the region. U.S. diplomatic personnel had previously been drawn down or shifted to remote work following escalations and rocket attacks targeting the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad earlier this year.
The move to restore staffing levels marks a potential easing of Washington’s assessment of security conditions, although the State Department emphasized that its posture remains subject to change as circumstances evolve.