BAGHDAD (Reuters) — US soldiers have left Iraq’s Ain al-Asad Airbase, which hosted US-led forces in Western Iraq, and the Iraqi army has taken complete authority, according to the Iraqi defense ministry on Saturday.

In 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed on plans for the departure of US-led coalition forces from Iraq and the establishment of a bilateral security arrangement.

For years, Ain al-Asad has hosted US and coalition soldiers and has been periodically threatened by Iran-backed armed groups during periods of heightened regional tensions, most recently following the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

An Iraqi army colonel confirmed the US forces’ pullout from the facility, claiming just a few men remained owing to logistical concerns. He declined to provide further information for security concerns.

It was not immediately apparent when the evacuation began, but the initial plan indicated that hundreds of troops would leave by September 2025, with the remainder leaving by the end of 2026.

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