Netherlands suspends the work of its mission in Iraq

SANAA, May 15 (YPA) – The Dutch government has suspended the work of its mission in Iraq, which is helping local authorities because of a security threat, the Dutch news agency ANA reported on Wednesday.

Dutch military forces are stationed in Erbil, northern Iraq, in cooperation with foreign forces for allegedly training Iraqi forces.

The US Embassy in Baghdad said the US State Department had asked all government officials, whose work was not related to emergency operations, to leave Iraq.

“The US State Department ordered the evacuation of government employees, whose work is not linked to emergency operations, including from the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil,” the statement said.

The US Central Command has raised concerns in Iraq and Syria about the potential threat to the military by Iran.

Earlier in the day, the New York Times reported that US Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan last week presented an improved military plan to the administration of President Donald Trump, including scenarios of sending up to 120,000 troops to the Arab region if Iran attacked US forces Or accelerated the production of nuclear weapons