“Out of respect for the decision of the Iraqi government, we call on our supporters to end their protests in front of the US embassy in Baghdad and withdraw from the area,” the PMF said in a statement.

The PMF, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, said that its message had been delivered to the US. Some supporters then began leaving the area, packing up the tents, mattresses, and cooking equipment that they had brought in to signal that they intended to stay longer.

Crowds had rallied on Tuesday to condemn deadly US air strikes on militia bases, setting fires, throwing rocks, and smashing surveillance cameras. They did not breach the huge embassy’s main compound, however.

Following Tuesday’s violence, federal government officials called for the militia supporters to withdraw and reaffirmed their responsibility for protecting diplomatic facilities.

The situation had appeared set to continue for a second full day as a crowd gathered on Wednesday morning, facing off against a heavy security presence from elite Iraq military units, Reuters reported.

Senior Iraqi army officers had negotiated with those gathered outside the embassy in an attempt to convince them to leave, but failed to do so.

Washington had put pressure on Iraqi leaders to ensure the security of its staff.

Reporter’s code: 50101