Germany suspends Iraqi military training due to tensions in region
  • WORLD

  • 15:33 15 May 2019

Germany suspends Iraqi military training due to tensions in region

Earlier in the day, the US State Department ordered that all American government officials not dealing with emergencies leave Iraq, the US Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement, ONA reports citing Sputnik.

Germany is suspending its participation in the Iraqi military training programme due to heightened tensions in the region, Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (DPA) reported citing military sources.

The statement comes a day after the US Central Command announced that US forces in Iraq and Syria had been placed on high alert following "credible threats from Iranian forces" in the region.

The United States stated earlier in May it was deploying USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force near Iran to an area controlled by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to send "a clear and unmistakable message" to Tehran. Last week, Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the deployment of the Patriot missile defense system and USS Arlington (LPD-24) to the Middle East.

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