The capital's security spokesman Major General Qasim Atta said two blasts were "suicide attacks against the Egyptian and Iranian embassies," and a third struck at an intersection near the German and Syrian missions.
The Spanish embassy, which is next to Germany's, was also damaged.
Among the dead were the Egyptian mission's Iraqi head of security and an Iraqi security guard at the German embassy.
"This is Al Qaida-planned. Sectarian fighting has been minimised in Iraq now," Dr Mustafa Alani, senior adviser and programme director, security and terrorism studies at the Gulf Research Centre told Gulf News.
Gaining popularity
"Iraqis were upset that many of the political players went to the Iranian city of Qom recently for meetings.
"Al Qaida's targeting of the Iranian embassy could be an attempt to gain more popularity among Iraqis, but it's doubtful they will be successful," he added.
The bombings came two days after a chilling execution-style attack by gunmen who raided homes south of Baghdad, killing 24 people, many of them believed to be anti-Al Qaida fighters.
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told the press it is too early to point fingers, but also said it had the markings of Al Qaida. "They bear the same marks of previous attacks, in the timing, the targeting, the simultaneous attacks on different targets in different places to have maximum impact," Zebari said referring to co-ordinated bombings in August, October, December and January that killed more than 400 people.
The explosions occurred within minutes of each other, shattering windows in nearby buildings, sparking bursts of gunfire and sending large plumes of smoke billowing across the Iraqi capital. The heaviest death toll was outside the Iranian mission, where police said at least 18 people had died.
"Three security guards shouted at the truck to stop moving, and opened fire on the driver," said bystander Saeed Mohammad, who then turned to nearby Iraqi army officers in anger and shouted: "How did the truck get here?"
Security officials have warned that a protracted period of coalition building could give insurgents an opportunity to further destabilise Iraq.
Alani, agreed. "If the political uncertainty continues in Iraq, as a new government is trying to be formed, there will be a return to terrorist attacks."
— With inputs from AFP
