Iraqi army completely takes over Ain al-Asad air base after US troop withdrawal

United States forces have completed their withdrawal from the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, Iraqi officials confirmed on Saturday, marking a significant step in the agreed wind-down of the U.S.-led coalition in the country.

The move follows a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to conclude the U.S.-led mission fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq by September 2025, which included the departure of US forces from various bases.

While the original plan called for a full pullout from Ain al-Asad by September, "developments in Syria" led to a temporary retention of a small unit of 250 to 350 advisers and security personnel, as stated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in October.

All U.S. personnel have now departed.

Following the withdrawal, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the full assumption of control by the Iraqi Army.

A military statement detailed Yarallah's assignment of tasks to various units and his instruction to "intensify efforts, enhance joint work, and coordinate between all units stationed at the base, while making full use of its capabilities and strategic location."

A Ministry of Defence official, speaking anonymously, corroborated the departure of all US forces and equipment.

The US military has not issued a statement regarding the withdrawal.

While US forces maintain a presence in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and neighbouring Syria, the departure from Ain al-Asad could bolster the Iraqi government's efforts to disarm non-state armed groups. Some of these groups have historically cited the presence of US troops as justification for retaining their own weapons. Prime Minister al-Sudani previously stated in a July interview that once the coalition withdrawal is complete, "there will be no need or no justification for any group to carry weapons outside the scope of the state."