The warning is a clear escalation from the embassy’s past recommendations, which 24 hours ago told Americans to keep a “low profile,” but not evacuate. It signals growing U.S. concern about the threat of Iran-aligned militias in Iraq.

Tehran on Saturday threatened for the first time to attack infrastructure of a neighboring country, urging people to evacuate three major ports in the United Arab Emirates it claimed the U.S. military was using to launch strikes on Iran. Previous threats have focused on military targets.

France said earlier that six soldiers were hurt in a drone attack in Irbil.

Iraq will travel to Mexico by private plane for their World Cup play-off despite calls from coach Graham Arnold to postpone the match amid the escalating US-Israeli war with Iran, the country's FA president Adnan Dirjal says.

"The incident was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," the release said, adding that rescue efforts are ongoing.

Iraq is caught in the crossfire of the Iran war and is the only country facing strikes from both sides, threatening to drag the nation that has so far avoided two years of regional turmoil into a full-blown crisis.

Americans are paying more at the pump as gas prices have jumped in every state following the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28. Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil trade.

A French soldier was killed in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X Friday, announcing his military’s first fatality in the Middle East since the start of the war.

Iraq will travel to Mexico at the end of the week ​for their World Cup playoff despite calls from ‌coach Graham Arnold to postpone the match as they are facing travel disruption due to the Middle East ​conflict,

Earlier on Saturday, the US Embassy in Baghdad was hit by a missile attack, Iraqi security sources told Reuters.