Trump blames Iran for US Embassy attack in Iraq

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of "orchestrating an attack" against its embassy in Iraq on Tuesday, amid ongoing protests outside the building.

"Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," Trump tweeted.

He added: "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible."

Trump also called on the Iraqi government to take necessary measures to protect the American compound in the diplomatic Green Zone.

Outraged Iraqi protesters on Tuesday stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, protesting Washington's attacks on armed battalions belong to Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi forces.

At least 25 people were killed in weekend U.S. airstrikes on positions of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group, in Iraq and Syria.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the weekend attacks, calling them “a clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

"Iraq is an independent country,” said a ministry statement, adding that it will not allow Iraq to be turned into “a battlefield or a crossing point for an attack, or its territories to be used to target neighboring countries."

The U.S. ambassador in Baghdad will be summoned to deliver the statement to his superiors, said the statement.