• All American personnel and equipment departed airbase by Friday following phased plan
• Washington maintains presence in Kurdistan region and Syria for counter-ISIS operations
• Iran expresses satisfaction as Baghdad strengthens independence from US military presence

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (TDR) — United States forces completed their full withdrawal from Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq on Friday, with Iraqi military officials confirming Saturday that their army now exercises complete control over the strategic facility.

The departure implements a 2024 bilateral agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, though American forces will maintain a presence in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region and neighboring Syria.

Strategic Airbase Returns to Iraqi Control

Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the transfer of responsibilities Saturday, assigning tasks and duties to various Iraqi military units assuming control of the installation in Anbar province.

“Intensify efforts, enhance joint work, and coordinate between all units stationed at the base, while making full use of its capabilities and strategic location,” Yarallah instructed commanders in a military statement.

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A senior Iraqi Ministry of Defense official, speaking anonymously without authorization for public comment, confirmed that all U.S. personnel have departed and all American equipment has been removed from the facility.

U.S. Central Command sources told Fox News the withdrawal was completed Friday as part of an ongoing regional consolidation effort.

“We’re able to consolidate because of the significant progress made there,” a CENTCOM official stated. “ISIS in Iraq doesn’t pose a threat beyond Iraq’s capacity to handle on their own.”

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The official emphasized that the consolidation demonstrates Iraqi forces’ growing self-sufficiency in managing security threats independently.

Delayed Timeline Reflects Syrian Developments

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told journalists in October that the original bilateral agreement stipulated a complete U.S. pullout from Ain al-Asad by September 2025.

However, instability in neighboring Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime necessitated temporarily maintaining a small contingent at the base.

“Developments in Syria required maintaining a small unit of between 250 and 350 advisers and security personnel at the base,” al-Sudani explained.

That remaining advisory unit has now departed, completing the withdrawal ahead of the original September deadline.

Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command Lt. Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi stated in late December that ending the international coalition’s presence represents one of Baghdad’s main governmental objectives.

“One of the government’s main objectives is to end the presence of the international coalition in the country and move on with bilateral international agreements,” al-Muhammadawi declared.

Phased Withdrawal Through 2026

The September 2024 agreement established a two-phase withdrawal plan for approximately 2,500 American troops stationed across Iraq.

Under phase one, U.S. forces must relocate from bases in Anbar province and Baghdad to Kurdistan region installations by September 2025. Phase two calls for most remaining troops to depart Iraq entirely by September 2026.

However, roughly 300 advisers and security personnel will remain at Kurdistan bases indefinitely to support intelligence and surveillance efforts with U.S. forces conducting counter-ISIS operations in Syria, where approximately 900 American troops are deployed.

Kurdistan24 reported that coalition forces in Baghdad include primarily French and Romanian troops, with Americans constituting only about 20 percent of the international presence in the capital.

ISIS Threat Assessment Drives Timeline

The Islamic State established a territorial caliphate across large portions of Iraq and Syria in 2014, prompting the United States to lead a multinational coalition back into Iraq after withdrawing combat forces in 2011.

At its height, ISIS controlled territory the size of Britain, governed approximately 8 million people, and generated around $1 million daily from black market oil sales while commanding tens of thousands of fighters from more than 80 countries.

Defense Department assessments indicate ISIS has been significantly degraded over the past decade and no longer poses an existential threat to Iraq. However, the Pentagon Inspector General noted in recent reviews that conditions enabling ISIS’s 2014 rise persist in some areas.

ISIS has reportedly increased attack tempo in Syria, raising concerns about potential spillover into Iraq. Nonetheless, Iraqi security forces have demonstrated proficiency conducting independent operations against ISIS holdouts along the country’s periphery.

“ISIS continues to pose a real threat although diminished in Iraq and the wider region,” a senior administration official acknowledged. “Together the US, Iraq and the coalition remain committed to the defeat to defeat the core ISIS threat.”

The official emphasized that approximately 900 U.S. troops will continue supporting counter-ISIS operations in Syria from Iraqi territory through at least September 2026.

Iranian Reaction Highlights Regional Dynamics

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed satisfaction with the American departure during a Sunday press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Tehran.

“Tehran is pleased with the evacuation of American forces from the Ain al-Asad Air base,” Araghchi stated. “The handover of the base to Iraqi forces is a sign of the strengthening of independence, stability, and political sovereignty in Iraq.”

The Ain al-Asad facility carries particular significance for Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked the base in January 2020, days after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and associates in Baghdad.

Araghchi described Iraq-Iran relations as strengthening, citing tens of thousands of Iraqi students in Iranian universities and seven million annual crossings by pilgrims and tourists between the countries.

“The joint border between Iran and Iraq has turned into a border of friendship and cooperation in economic, social, and political fields,” Araghchi declared.

For his part, Hussein emphasized the principle of “indivisible regional security,” noting that each country’s stability ensures neighbors’ security.

“Iraq’s regional weight and role are on an upward trajectory,” Hussein stated. “Through increased political and diplomatic capacity, they can play a positive role in promoting dialogue, bridging positions, interaction, and resolving existing obstacles in regional relations.”

Impact on Non-State Armed Groups

The departure of U.S. forces may strengthen Baghdad’s hand in negotiations with non-state armed groups operating within Iraq, some of which have cited American military presence as justification for maintaining their own weapons.

Prime Minister al-Sudani stated in a July interview that once coalition withdrawal completes, the rationale for such groups retaining arms will evaporate.

“Once the coalition withdrawal is complete, there will be no need or justification for the existence of armed groups,” al-Sudani argued.

Iran-backed Shia militias have conducted periodic attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, viewing the American presence as illegitimate foreign occupation.

Two Decades of U.S. Military Presence

The withdrawal marks a major milestone in American involvement spanning two decades since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The United States deployed nearly 130,000 troops in 2003, with numbers fluctuating between 100,000 and 150,000 during initial years. Troop levels surged to approximately 170,000 in 2007 amid sectarian violence before President Barack Obama withdrew combat forces by December 2011.

ISIS’s 2014 rise prompted Washington to deploy more than 5,000 troops to lead the international coalition. Subsequent reductions brought levels to around 3,000 in 2021 and approximately 2,500 in 2023.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers previously warned that withdrawal would “benefit and embolden Iran and ISIS,” expressing deep concern about national security implications.

However, defense policy analysts argue Iraqi security forces have demonstrated capability to manage ISIS threats independently, reducing strategic necessity for continued American presence.

“The Iraqi government has asked for U.S. forces to leave the country,” analysts noted. “Iraqi security forces are ready to carry the burden of containing ISIS.”

Should the United States maintain advisory forces in Iraq indefinitely to prevent ISIS resurgence, or do Iraqi security capabilities justify complete American withdrawal?

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