US completes withdrawal from al-Asad airbase, Iraq says

The US has quietly accomplished its withdrawal from al-Asad air base in Iraq’s Anbar Province, the Iraq Protection Ministry mentioned Saturday, bringing to an in depth greater than twenty years of American army presence within the western a part of the nation.

Iraqi Military Chief of Workers Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the switch of duties on the base, in accordance with the Protection Ministry.

U.S. Central Command didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark relating to the handover.

The drawdown follows an settlement reached in September 2024 between Washington and Baghdad to shutter the U.S.-led army coalition that had lengthy served as a bulwark in opposition to the Islamic State.

The 2 sides initially set a goal for completion by the top of September 2025, however a small contingent of roughly 250 to 350 American army advisers remained on the base in response to developments in neighboring Syria.

President Donald Trump and his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, held a telephone name on Monday to debate “developments within the scenario in Syria” and affirmed “help for its unity and the battle in opposition to terrorism,” Damascus mentioned in a submit on X. The 2 leaders additionally agreed to proceed cooperation to fight ISIS.

CENTCOM underscored its collaboration with Syria in its ongoing marketing campaign in opposition to the Islamic State.

“We welcome ongoing efforts by all events in Syria to forestall escalation and pursue decision by dialogue,” CENTCOM head Adm. Brad Cooper mentioned in a press release on Saturday. “Aggressively pursuing ISIS and relentlessly making use of army strain requires teamwork amongst Syrian companions in coordination with U.S. and coalition forces.

“A Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is crucial to peace and stability throughout the area.”

The U.S. — alongside companion forces — has over the previous month performed a sequence of “large-scale” strikes in opposition to ISIS targets all through Syria as a part of “Operation Hawkeye State.”

Protection Pete Hegseth mentioned the operation was launched as a “declaration of vengeance” in direct response to the lethal ISIS assault on two American troopers and one U.S. civilian interpreter in Palmyra on Dec. 13.

U.S. troop ranges in Iraq reached a peak of about 169,000 in August 2007, a Authorities Accountability Workplace report acknowledged. Because the finish of the American fight mission within the nation in December 2021, roughly 2,500 U.S. forces had been stationed in several installations throughout Iraq.