WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The government of Iraq assured the United States that it will protect the US embassy in Baghdad amid protests in the city, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a briefing on Wednesday.
"The nation of Iraq has [an] obligation to protect all diplomatic facilities on their soil," Earnest stated. "We have received assurances from the Iraqi government that they understand that that is their obligation."
The press secretary underscored that all the necessary steps to ensure safety of the embassy staff have been taken.
On May 6, US media reported that 25 Marines had arrived to the US embassy in Baghdad at the request of the Department of State due to security concerns.
On April 26, supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr entered the Baghdad’s Green Zone, housing government buildings and foreign missions, and broke into the Iraqi parliament to demand reforms of the political quota system.
