New Zealand will close its embassy in Baghdad by the end of this month, after withdrawing most of its troops from Iraq. The decision comes in the wake of recurrent rocket strikes near the Iraqi capital
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday that the closure was not a reflection of the relationship with Iraq. He explained that the withdrawal of forces from the country earlier this year has removed the primary rationale for the embassy in Baghdad.
“Despite the closure of the embassy, our firm commitment to the international struggle against terrorism remains,” the foreign affairs minister said.
Since 2015, New Zealand has deployed 140 personnel to provide military training to Iraqi forces in the fight against the so-called Islamic State. Training included the use of weapons, preparing for combat operations, offering medical support, and in the laws of armed conflict. The troops were based alongside Australian, US and British soldiers in Camp Taji, located some 27km north of Baghdad.
The facility, housing US and New Zealand troops, has been frequently targeted over the past few months. According to multiple media outlets, several rockets exploded close to the Taji base as recently as June, and another strike, in March, claimed the lives of two American service personnel and a member of the British army medical corps. The rise in attacks follows the US’s assassination of a top Iranian official, Major General Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike at Baghdad airport in early January.
Following the escalating tensions, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in March that her cabinet had decided to remove troops from Iraq by June. Once they are gone, New Zealand’s diplomatic representation in Iraq will be transferred to the country’s consulate in Abu Dhabi.
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