US sends Stevinn Fagan back to Baghdad as chargé d'affaires

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The US Embassy in Baghdad has appointed diplomat Stevinn Fagan as chargé d'affaires, replacing Joshua Harkis, who held the post for roughly a year. The embassy said Fagan, a former US ambassador to Yemen, is returning to Baghdad after previously serving there as deputy chief of mission, chargé d'affaires, and principal officer at the US Consulate in Erbil. According to the embassy announcement, Fagan's regional experience is expected to support the strengthening of US-Iraq relations. Harkis was appointed chargé d'affaires in September 2025. Security cooperation, counterterrorism, and economic and energy issues remain central items on the bilateral agenda, the embassy said, without elaborating further.