“The last members of the NATO mission in Iraq left the country on March 20, 2026.”
This is what General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said on March 20, commenting on the departure of the mission’s personnel from Iraq.
In recent days, diplomatic missions and international organizations have either left Iraq or reduced their presence in the country, which has been subjected to rocket attacks from nearly all sides of the ongoing conflict.
Amid escalating security attacks and the widening regional conflict—now directly affecting Iraq internally—some diplomatic missions have found themselves at risk, with a growing belief that leaving the country may be safer for their staff.
On March 17, the Saudi embassy in Baghdad closed its doors following an attack that targeted the Al-Rasheed Hotel, where the embassy is located, one day before its departure.
A Saudi diplomatic source from the Baghdad embassy told Alhurra from Riyadh: “We left on the night the hotel was targeted. We did not stay long. Hours after the attack, we departed by land to Saudi Arabia.”
He added: “We will return once the war ends and the safety of our team is ensured.”
The Qatari embassy in Baghdad followed shortly after, according to local Iraqi media.
Earlier, staff at the German embassy in Baghdad had also departed, according to a source from embassy security who spoke to Alhurra.
According to the source, German embassy staff will return once the war ends and assurances are in place that missions will not be targeted.
However, the most notable development was the evacuation operations carried out by the U.S. embassy on the evening of March 19, when some embassy personnel left after the mission had been subjected to significant attacks in recent days.
Ihsan Al-Shammari, head of the Political Thinking Center, told Alhurra: “One of the most significant consequences of the withdrawal of diplomatic missions from Iraq is the beginning of Iraq’s isolation from the rest of the world and its inability to communicate with countries that have decided to withdraw their missions. This will also expose Iraq to international accountability before the UN Security Council due to these attacks and its failure to uphold international obligations.”
He added: “The withdrawal presents a clearer image of an unsafe Iraq, which also affects foreign and investment companies, whether currently operating in Iraq or considering entering it in the future.”
Since the outbreak of war in the region on February 28, Iraq has effectively become part of it—albeit unofficially—as rockets, drones, and warplanes traverse its airspace and target both national and foreign facilities.
Diplomatic missions have not been spared from these attacks, particularly the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
Last week, drone attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone intensified significantly. The U.S. consulate in Erbil and facilities belonging to the U.S.-led international coalition fighting ISIS were also targeted.
These attacks have impacted the international diplomatic presence in Iraq and may push additional missions to leave the country in the coming days unless the strikes targeting them stop.
Armed factions have placed the Iraqi government in an embarrassing position, especially since the government has spent years working intensively to secure embassies and encourage missions to resume operations from Baghdad.
The attacks have not been limited to embassies; they have also struck hotels hosting diplomatic missions, diplomatic support centers, and residences for foreign personnel working in advisory institutions.
On March 17, Faiq Zaidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, published an article on the council’s official website outlining legal provisions that “punish” attacks on diplomatic missions.
Under Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005, Article 2 classifies attacks on embassies and diplomatic entities in Iraq as “terrorist acts,” punishable by death.
Mustafa Al-Saray, Director of Research at the Al-Bayan Center for Studies and Planning, said that “the departure of diplomatic missions effectively means that the state is being viewed as unstable and unsafe.”
He added to Alhurra that “this negatively affects the nature of Iraq’s regional and international relations and may expose it to a degree of isolation as a result of attacks on missions or due to the activities of certain factions.”
The repercussions of these actions extend to the economy and international relations. Local Iraqi media have reported that some foreign companies have left their work sites due to security instability or threats they received, particularly American companies or those working with them.
As attacks intensify and reach sensitive locations—including the targeting of Iraq’s intelligence service on the morning of March 21—some missions have also moved part of their operations to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which itself has not been entirely spared from occasional attacks.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Mustafa Saadoon
Mustafa Saadoon is an Iraqi journalist who has worked for several international and Arab media organizations. He covers politics and human rights.
