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Iraqi army fully takes over key base following US withdrawal

  • On Jan 17, U.S. forces withdrew from Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, with all personnel and equipment removed as the Iraqi Army assumed full control, Iraqi defence ministry reported.
  • An earlier Washington-Baghdad understanding envisioned winding down the U.S.-led coalition and shifting toward a bilateral security relationship with a phased drawdown.
  • Local reports noted an Iraqi army colonel said a few U.S. soldiers remained temporarily due to logistical issues, while officials maintained between 250 and 350 U.S. military advisers and support personnel because of Syrian developments.
  • Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah then oversaw reassignment and coordination orders at the base Saturday, while Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said non-state armed groups would lack justification for weapons after withdrawal.
  • Amid regional tensions, analysts note Ain al-Asad has been targeted by Iran-backed armed groups after the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, while U.S. forces maintain presence in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region and neighbouring Syria.
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Lean Left

Iraq announces on Sunday the closure of the withdrawal of coalition forces led by the United States of the bases located on the Iraqi federal territory - with the exception of the Kurdistan (north) autonomous region - reports AFP.

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Lean Left

Iraq announced on Sunday the withdrawal of the forces of the coalition led by the US from all over the Iraqi territory, with the exception of the Kurdistan autonomous region of the north, transmits AFP, taken by Agerpres. All the military objectives are going...

·Romania
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Center

Iraq has announced this Sunday the total withdrawal of the international coalition from all bases in the country.

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Center

Iraq announced on Sunday the end of the withdrawal of the forces of the United States-led coalition from the bases on the country's federal territory, excluding the Kurdistan Autonomous Region, in the north. ...

·Brussels, Belgium
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  • 47% of the sources lean Left
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Portfolio broke the news in on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
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