Attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad

Attack on the United States Embassy in Baghdad (2019–2020)

Part of the 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
Iraqi PMF militiamen and their supporters burn a sentry box in front of the U.S. embassy, 31 December 2019[1]
Date	31 December 2019 – 1 January 2020
Location	Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq
Coordinates	33°17′56″N 44°23′46″E / 33.299°N 44.396°E / 33.299; 44.396
Type	Protests, vandalism, and arson
Motive	In response to the U.S. airstrikes on 29 December 2019
Target	Embassy of the United States, Baghdad
Perpetrator	Kata'ib Hezbollah
Outcome	See Aftermath

The U.S. embassy in the Green Zone of Baghdad, Iraq, was attacked on 31 December 2019 by Kata'ib Hezbollah militiamen and their Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) supporters and sympathizers.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} The attack was prompted by the U.S. airstrikes on 29 December 2019 that targeted weapons depots and command and control installations of Kata'ib Hezbollah across Iraq and Syria.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

The attack occurred amidst the backdrop of the 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, leading the United States to blame Iran and its non-state allies in Iraq for orchestrating the attack, which Iran denied. The U.S. responded by sending hundreds of additional troops to the Persian Gulf region, including approximately 100 U.S. Marines to reinforce security at the Baghdad embassy. No deaths or serious injuries occurred during the attack and protesters never breached the main compound.^{[14][15][16][17]}