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6h ago

U.S. Completes Exit From Iraq’s Ain al-Asad Base as Iraqi Army Takes Control

Officials say the exit reflects a planned coalition drawdown to shift U.S. counter-ISIS focus to Syria.

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Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division conduct an artillery live fire exercise at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, Dec. 1, 2023.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, attends the Army Day celebrations in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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Overview

  • Iraq’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that all U.S. personnel and equipment left Ain al-Asad in western Anbar and that Iraqi forces assumed full control.
  • Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the handover and directed units to intensify coordination and leverage the base’s strategic location.
  • U.S. Central Command confirmed the departure to Task & Purpose, while CENTCOM sources told Fox News the move is part of a regional consolidation to concentrate on ISIS remnants in Syria.
  • The withdrawal implements a 2024 U.S.-Iraq agreement to wind down the coalition after a delay that kept 250–350 American advisers at the base due to developments in Syria.
  • U.S. forces continue operating in Iraq’s Kurdish region and in neighboring Syria, and analysts note the handover could strengthen Baghdad’s push to disarm non-state armed groups.