US Embassy issues alert for citizens in the Eastern Caribbean

The United States (US) Embassy in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has put US citizens on alert as a result of “heightened tensions in the Middle East”.

The tensions refer to the assassination of Iran’s military commander Qassem Soleimani, carried out on the order of US President Donald Trump. Soleimani, who was arguably the second most powerful man in Iran and was well-loved by his people, was killed along with nine others in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq several days ago.

Iran has vowed to take revenge for his death.

As a result, the US Embassy, based in Barbados, and which also has responsibility for the Eastern Caribbean, issued a security alert on Monday, January 6, 2020, warning its citizens. The alert was also posted on the Embassy’s official Facebook page on Tuesday, January 7.

“There is heightened tension in the Middle East that may result in security risks to U.S. citizens abroad,” the alert states.