US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled an upcoming trip to Ukraine and four other countries on Wednesday in order to address the current security concerns in Iraq. In a press statement, the State Department indicated that Pompeo would reschedule the trip to begin on Friday order to “ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East.”

The cancelation came after protesters broke into the US Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday. The protesters, who have been linked to Iraq funded militia, smashed into the embassy compound. Upon entering, the protesters set fire to certain parts of the compound and remained there for until being tear gassed by security on Wednesday. After the break in, 750 US troops were deployed to the Middle East.

The protests are in response to the US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq that killed more than 24 people on December 29. Among the causalities were members of Kataeb Hezbollah, an organization with ties to larger Shiite militias.

Despite the initial cancellation, Pompeo will conduct his visit starting January 3. The original trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus would have included a meeting between Pompeo and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Officially, the meeting was to discuss US aid to Ukraine for defense against Russian influence and general corruption.