BAGHDAD, January 17 (Reuters) – The Iraqi Defense Ministry said on Saturday that U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base where U.S.-led troops are deployed in western Iraq and that Iraqi forces have taken full control of the base.
In 2024, Washington and Baghdad reached an understanding on plans to withdraw U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq and move toward a bilateral security relationship.
Ain Assad has hosted U.S. and coalition forces for years and has been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed armed groups during heightened regional tensions, including in 2020 after the U.S. killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
An Iraqi Army colonel confirmed that U.S. troops had withdrawn from the base and said some soldiers remained due to logistical issues. He did not provide further details for security reasons.
It’s unclear when the withdrawal will begin, but initial plans called for hundreds of troops to leave by September 2025 and the rest by the end of 2026.
(Reporting by Muayad Kenany and Ahmed Rasheed. Writing by Jaidaa Taha. Editing by Mark Potter)
