Iraqi military announced on Saturday (January 17) that, according to an agreement with the Iraqi government, the US forces have completely withdrawn from the Ain al-Asad Airbase located in western Iraq. The base was previously home to a coalition of forces led by the United States. Following the US withdrawal, the Iraqi military has taken full control of the base.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the United States and Iraq reached an agreement in 2024 to gradually withdraw the US-led coalition forces fighting against ISIS terrorists in Iraq by September 2025. The agreement included the withdrawal of US troops from their bases. However, a small number of American military advisors and support personnel remained stationed.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told the media in October 2025 that the initial agreement required the complete withdrawal of US forces from the Ain al-Asad Airbase by September of the same year. However, due to “developments in the Syrian situation,” American forces needed to maintain a “small unit” consisting of 250 to 350 advisors and security personnel at the base.
All US personnel have now left the base. In a statement on Saturday, the Iraqi military announced that following the US withdrawal and the full takeover by the Iraqi military, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah supervised the assignment of tasks to various military units at the base on Saturday.
The statement added that Yarallah “instructed relevant departments to intensify efforts, strengthen cooperation, coordinate all units stationed at the base, and fully utilize the capabilities and strategic position of the base.”
An unnamed defense official confirmed to the Associated Press that all US troops have left the base and all American-made equipment has been removed.
For years, the Ain al-Asad Airbase has been a stronghold for the United States and its allies. During periods of high regional tension, including after the US targeted and killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, the base came under multiple attacks by Iran-backed armed groups.
Following the withdrawal from Ain al-Asad Airbase, the US military maintains its presence in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and in neighboring Syria.
The US pullout may help the Iraqi government advance negotiations for the disarmament of non-state armed groups. Some non-state armed groups have cited the presence of US forces as a reason to retain their weapons.
Prime Minister Sudani stated in an interview with the Associated Press in July last year that once the coalition withdrawal is completed, there is no necessity or reason for any non-state armed groups to carry weapons.