John Durnford Jernegan (June 12, 1911 – November 6, 1980) was an American career Foreign Service Officer who served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iraq from 1958 until the Government of Iraq requested his departure on June 2, 1962.

[3] Before he was appointed as Ambassador, Jernegan worked as the Director of the Office of Greek, Turkish and Iranian Affairs (1949-1950) and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern, South Asian and African Affairs (1952-1955).

[3] He was considered Persona non Grata after siding with Britain when Britain planned to protect Kuwait when Abdul Karim Qasim, the Iraqi leader, laid claim to Kuwait.

[4][5] Qasim “designated the Kuwaiti monarch “qa’im maqam” – a subordinate to the governor of Basra – and threatened to “liberate” the country by force if the Kuwaiti monarch refused to accept this new designation.” .

[6] Jernegan died in Carmel Valley, California, on November 6, 1980, at the age of 69.