Iran War Escalates as U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Is Attacked Again and Americans Ordered to Leave Iraq

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran has entered a dangerous new phase, spreading beyond Iran’s borders and intensifying fears of a wider regional conflict.

On Saturday, the United States Embassy in Baghdad urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately after the diplomatic compound was attacked for the second time since the conflict began. The warning highlights growing concern in Washington that Iran aligned militias operating in Iraq are opening another front in the war.

Officials say the conflict, which began when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, is now destabilizing multiple countries across the Middle East while rattling global energy markets.

The overnight attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad marked a major escalation in the regional crisis. The Iran backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it had fired on the embassy compound the previous night.

Video verified by journalists showed flames rising from a structure on the embassy’s rooftop. Iraqi security officials confirmed the attack but did not release detailed information about the damage or casualties.

Following the attack, the U.S. Embassy issued an urgent advisory warning Americans that Iran and its aligned militias pose a major threat to public safety in Iraq. The embassy recommended that U.S. citizens leave the country immediately by traveling overland to neighboring nations such as Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey. Commercial flights from Iraq are currently not operating due to the security situation.

This evacuation advisory marks a sharp shift from the embassy’s guidance just a day earlier, when Americans were only told to maintain a low profile. Experts say the sudden change signals deep concern in Washington about the increasing number of militia attacks targeting U.S. interests across Iraq.

Iran backed armed groups have launched more than 200 attacks on diplomatic facilities, military bases, and civilian locations connected to the United States and its allies in recent days, according to regional analysts.

Targets have included the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a U.S. military base, and a consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. In one separate incident this week, a drone strike hit the United Arab Emirates consulate in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

A French soldier was also killed after a drone struck a military base in the Kurdish region. Investigations are ongoing to determine who carried out that attack.

The growing violence underscores Iraq’s fragile political position. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country has struggled to balance its relations with Washington while also maintaining complex ties with neighboring Iran, which has gained significant influence through allied militias operating in the country.

At the same time as the embassy attack, the United States carried out major airstrikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s most important oil export hub. The island handles about 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports and plays a critical role in the country’s economy.

U.S. military officials said the strikes targeted missile storage facilities, naval mines, and other military infrastructure used to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump said the United States deliberately avoided striking Iran’s oil infrastructure during the operation.

However, Trump warned that the United States could change course if Iran continues interfering with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and carries about one fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded with a defiant statement declaring the strait fully under their control and warning that any vessel attempting to pass could be targeted.

The war has already triggered major shocks in global energy markets. Oil prices have risen by more than 40 percent since the fighting began, climbing above 100 dollars per barrel.

In the United States, gasoline prices have jumped sharply as well. The national average reached 3.68 dollars per gallon on Saturday, according to the AAA motor club, representing a 23.5 percent increase since the start of the conflict.

The disruption in oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz has been a key factor driving the surge in energy prices. The United States has now called on other countries including Britain, France, China, Japan, and South Korea to send naval forces to help secure the critical shipping route.

President Trump said protecting oil tankers should be a shared responsibility among nations that depend on the passage.

Meanwhile, the war continues to take a devastating toll on civilians across the region. Israel carried out fresh airstrikes across Tehran on Saturday, targeting what it said were military facilities including a space research center involved in satellite intelligence development.

Residents in the Iranian capital described the city as eerily quiet, with many people fleeing and businesses closed as the bombardment continues.

Iran’s representative to the United Nations said at least 1,348 civilians have been killed in Iran since the war began, while millions of people have been displaced within the country.

In Lebanon, where the Iran backed group Hezbollah has joined the conflict, more than 826 people have been killed and over 2,000 injured during Israeli airstrikes. Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled their homes as fighting intensifies across the country.

Medical workers have also been caught in the violence. Lebanese authorities say at least 31 healthcare workers have been killed while responding to strikes or treating injured civilians.

The expanding conflict has now drawn in multiple countries across the Middle East. Missile and drone attacks were reported in several Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

Air defense systems in Saudi Arabia intercepted at least 11 drones, while Bahrain sounded emergency sirens urging residents to seek shelter. In Dubai, debris from an intercepted projectile struck the side of a building.

As the war enters its third week, diplomats and international leaders are warning that the crisis could spiral further if major powers become more deeply involved.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, speaking during a visit to Beirut, urged all sides to halt the fighting.

“There is no military solution,” he said. “Only diplomacy and dialogue can stop this catastrophe from spreading further.”