BAGHDAD, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that security situation in Iraq is stable, just hours after the U.S. State Department ordered the non-emergency U.S. employees to leave Iraq.
"The security situation in Iraq is very stable. Iraq is a country that respects its partners and friends, shares common interests with them," Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesman of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, said in a press release.
The Foreign Ministry coordinates with all parties of the U.S.-Iranian conflict, and it abides by dialogue to solve the crisis, according to al-Sahaf.
Al-Sahaf comments came hours after the U.S. State Department has ordered the non-emergency U.S. employees working in both the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil to leave Iraq, according to a U.S. embassy statement.
Earlier, the U.S. military said the U.S. forces were on high alert in Iraq and Syria over fears of "imminent threats" from Iran-backed forces in the region.
The U.S. measures came amid the tense situation in the region after U.S. President Donald Trump decided not to re-issue the sanctions waivers for major importers to continue buying Iran's oil when they expired in early May.
The United States has also increased its military buildup in the region recently by deploying an aircraft carrier, bombers and anti-missile systems there, citing a threat of Iranian attack.
