"Footage captured on Tuesday shows flames engulfing the US Embassy compound in Baghdad following a drone strike. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of publication. Media outlets reported that “a wave of drone attacks” had targeted the Embassy, causing a fire to break out. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Iraq issued a statement saying that: “Iran-backed terrorist militias incited and carried out attacks against American citizens and US-linked targets across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.” The embassy urged American citizens to leave Iraq immediately. The US Embassy in Baghdad had already been damaged by a drone early Tuesday morning, the second such incident in a few days. Iraqi military bases and oil facilities were also hit by similar attacks. Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, chaired a “security meeting to follow up on internal and external developments” on Tuesday, confirming the “readiness of the security forces,” rejecting “attacks targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces that caused casualties,” and renewing “condemnation of attacks on diplomatic missions,” considering them “an attempt to destabilize Iraq.” Tensions flared in the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28, amid talks over Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Tehran announced retaliatory strikes on Israel and US assets in the region, with explosions reported in a number of Gulf countries. Iran confirmed that its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as his successor. Hezbollah intervened against the military operation launched by Israel and the US against Tehran, carrying out operations 'in revenge' for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and then ‘in response to the relentless Israeli strikes in Lebanon.’ Shipping lanes, including the key oil transshipment route the Strait of Hormuz, have been disrupted after Iran announced their closure and struck several tankers, leading oil prices to spike upwards of $100 per barrel. "