Protesters gather in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Dec. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
During the phone call, President Trump "emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq," said the White House.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday spoke over phone with Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi after demonstrators stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, said the White House.
The two leaders discussed "regional security issues and President Trump emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq," said a statement released by the White House.
The phone call came hours after hundreds of demonstrators, participating in mourning for the Hashd Shaabi members killed by a U.S. attack in Iraq on Sunday, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone.
Trump blamed Iran for "orchestrating an attack" on the embassy in a Tuesday morning tweet.
Following the incident, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that the United States is sending extra forces to beef up the embassy.
U.S. forces on Sunday attacked five locations in Iraq and Syria controlled by Iraq's paramilitary Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH), or Hezbollah Brigades, in response to recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, triggering strong responses from Iraq and Syria, with Iran denying any role in the recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. ■
