U.S. Embassy Baghdad to remain open

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of State announced Sunday that the American embassy in Baghdad would remain open despite the deteriorating security situation in Iraq.

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki acknowledged that while "a substantial majority of the U.S. Embassy presence in Iraq will remain in place," the embassy has decided to relocate some staff "temporarily" to consulates in Basra and Irbil as well as to the Iraq Support Unit in Amman.

The State Department has also deployed "additional U.S. government security personnel" to Baghdad to protect the embassy.

Due to the recent Sunni Islamist offensive strikes against Iraqi cities, the State Department advises American citizens to "exercise caution and limit travel to Anbar, Ninawa, Salah ad-Din, Diyala, and Kirkuk provinces" and to make contingency plans.