Iraq Says Its Army Has Taken Full Control of Ain al-Asad After U.S. Withdrawal

Iraq’s defense ministry said Saturday that U.S. forces have withdrawn from Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq and that the Iraqi army has “assumed full control” of the installation, closing a chapter in the American military presence that began in the fight against the Islamic State. The announcement was reported by Reuters.

Reuters said an Iraqi army colonel confirmed the withdrawal and added that a few soldiers remained because of logistical issues. The New Arab, citing an anonymous defense ministry official, reported a day later that all U.S. personnel had left and removed all American equipment. The accounts differ on whether a handful of Americans were still at the base.

The handover follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to wind down the U.S.-led coalition’s mission and move toward a bilateral security relationship, according to Reuters. The original plan called for hundreds of troops to leave by September 2025, with the remainder gone by the end of 2026, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. It is unclear exactly when the withdrawal from Ain al-Asad began.

The New Arab noted that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in October that developments in Syria required keeping a small unit of 250 to 350 advisers and security personnel at the base after the first deadline passed. That unit has now left.

The base has a long record as a target. Reuters reported that it hosted U.S. and coalition troops for years and was repeatedly attacked by Iran-backed armed groups during periods of heightened regional tension, including after the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

The withdrawal does not end the American presence in Iraq. U.S. forces remain in the semiautonomous Kurdistan Region in the north, and the AP reported that troops are still at Harir Air Base in Erbil province. They also remain in neighboring Syria, according to the New Arab. The AP noted that Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister, recently met U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, which it described as a sign of continuing cooperation.

The AP noted that Iraq asked for additional U.S. forces in 2014 to help fend off the Islamic State. The New Arab said the withdrawal could strengthen the government’s hand in discussions on disarming armed groups outside state control.

The move comes amid tension with Iran. The AP reported that Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said last week that American bases in the region would be “legitimate targets” if Iran were attacked. Iraq’s army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, instructed the relevant authorities at the base to intensify coordination among units, the New Arab and the AP said.