SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has postponed his visit to Baghdad and Erbil due to security concerns, Greek media reported on Wednesday.
Mitsotakis was scheduled to visit Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on July 12, according to Greek City Times.
The prime minister’s visit was delayed until further notice due to security developments in Iraq.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region has seen an increase in rocket and drone attacks carried out by what Iraqi officials say Iranian-backed militia groups against U.S. and Coalition personnel.
Earlier on Thursday, three Katyusha rockets fired at U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The embassy’s anti-rocket system diverted one of the rockets, a security source told Reuters.
The Iraqi military said the rockets fell headquarters of the National Security Agency, a square where celebrations are held and a neighborhood in Sheikh Omar area.
There were no casualties, but a civilian’s vehicle was damaged, the military added.
On Wednesday, at least 14 rockets hit Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base which houses U.S. forces, wounding two American service members.
U.S. officials said one suffered a concussion and the other had minor cuts.
A bomb-laden drone also targeted Erbil air base on Tuesday night. The base hosts U.S. and Coalition troops.
No casualties were reported in the attack.
Iraqi army officials said the pace of recent attacks against bases hosting U.S. forces with rockets and explosive-laden drones was unprecedented.
While there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks – part of a wave targeting U.S. troops or areas where they are based in Iraq and Syria – analysts believed they were part of a campaign by Iranian-backed militias.
Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran vowed to retaliate after U.S. strikes on the Iraqi-Syrian border killed four of their members last month.
The United States told the U.N. Security Council last week that it targeted Iranian-backed militia in Syria and Iraq with air strikes to deter them and Tehran from conducting or supporting further attacks on U.S. personnel or facilities.
Iran denied supporting attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and condemned U.S. air strikes on Iranian-backed groups.
