Trump warns Iran following riots at Iraqi embassy

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran it will pay a heavy price for the riots at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

“The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request,” he tweeted.

“Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!” added Trump.

Iraqi militants laid siege to the US Embassy in Baghdad earlier on Tuesday, setting fires and smashing security cameras before forcing their way into the compound.

The American Ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Tueller, was evacuated from the compound with his staff, Reuters reported.

The tweet marked the second time in several hours that Trump said Iran was responsible for the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad and stressed the US held the Islamic Republic “fully responsible” for the siege.

“Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many,” Trump tweeted. “We strongly responded, and always will.”

“Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”

The riots broke out after thousands gathered outside of the US Embassy to protest the recent US air strikes in Iraq and Syria against an Iranian-backed militia which the US said was responsible for a rocket attack that killed an American civilian contractor and injured several US military service members.

At least 25 fighters were killed and 55 more injured in the US air strikes over the weekend, which hit five camps of the Shiite group Kata’ib Hezbollah, a close ally of Iran linked to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.