Militiamen Withdraw from US Embassy but Iraq Tensions Linger

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran-backed militiamen have withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad after two days of clashes with American security forces.

There were no casualties or evacuations Wednesday, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence.

Hundreds of militiamen and their supporters attacked the embassy compound on Tuesday, protesting U.S. airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia that killed 25 fighters.

The U.S. blamed the militia for a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that killed a U.S. contractor.

The violence came as Iran and its allies across the region face unprecedented mass protests amid heavy U.S. sanctions that have cratered Iran’s economy.