"We have closed the US consulate in Basra due to costs and security issues, and we may reconsider reopening it," Tuller told the media, according to the Iraqi national news agency Nina.

The US ambassador to Baghdad also said that "some of Iraq's neighbors consider the country's sovereignty to be weak, so they are trying to interfere in its affairs and impose their demands on the country. The United States, meanwhile, wants good relations with its neighbors based on government relations, not interference in their internal affairs."

It is to be noted that the report comes only a few days after the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kazemi to the United States and the announcement of the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

Reporter's code: 50101