US citizens should leave Iraq immediately, the US embassy in Baghdad said in an updated security alert on Saturday, following an overnight missile attack on the embassy's building. 

"US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups," the embassy said.

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

The attack caused smoke to rise from the embassy's building, the sources said, without providing details on the damage.

Drone strike halts operations at refinery in Iraq's Erbil, officials say

Additionally, on Saturday, operations at the Lanaz refinery in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil were suspended until a fire caused by a drone strike was extinguished, provincial officials said.

A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026.
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026. (credit: Shvan HARKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Work will remain suspended until the extent of the damage is assessed, officials at the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Natural Resources told Reuters.