United States forces have fully withdrawn from the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, Iraqi officials confirmed on Saturday, marking a key milestone in the planned drawdown of the U.S.-led coalition in the country.
The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to conclude the coalition's mission against the Islamic State group in Iraq by September 2025. While the original timeline called for a complete pullout from Ain al-Asad by September, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated in October that a small unit of 250 to 350 advisers and security personnel was temporarily retained due to "developments in Syria."
Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the handover and assumption of control by Iraqi forces. A military statement said Yarallah assigned tasks to various units and instructed them to "intensify efforts, enhance joint work, and coordinate between all units stationed at the base, while making full use of its capabilities and strategic location."
A Ministry of Defence official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that all US forces and equipment had departed. The US military has not issued a statement on the withdrawal.
US forces remain stationed in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and neighbouring Syria. The departure from Ain al-Asad could support the Iraqi government's efforts to disarm non-state armed groups, some of which have cited the presence of US troops as justification for retaining weapons. Prime Minister al-Sudani said in July that once the coalition withdrawal is complete, "there will be no need or no justification for any group to carry weapons outside the scope of the state."
