- US
forces fully withdraw Ain al-Asad airbase. - Iraqi
army assumes complete operational control. - Withdrawal
completes 2024 bilateral security agreement.
Baghdad (Washington Insider Magazines) January 19, 2026 –
United States forces completed full withdrawal from Ain al-Asad Airbase in
Anbar province handing complete control to Iraqi army units after coalition
mission transition bilateral security partnership. US military maintains
approximately 900 personnel at Erbil Airbase and other Kurdistan Regional
Government facilities conducting counter-ISIS operations advisory missions
Peshmerga forces support. Iraqi defence ministry confirmed final handover
January 17 final C-17 Globemaster departure marking end 15-year presence
western Iraq counterterrorism aviation hub operations.
Iraqi Joint Operations Command deputy commander Lieutenant
General Qais al-Muhammadawi announced December 30 2025 coalition forces
withdrawal commencement Ain al-Asad complete handover Iraqi security forces
scheduled following week execution. US Central Command confirmed phased
drawdown aligned 2024 US-Iraq bilateral security agreement Operation Inherent
Resolve mission evolution advisory capacity nationwide 2,500 personnel
consolidated primarily KRG territory execution.
Ain al-asad airbase complete handover iraqi army units
Ain al-Asad Airbase Al Anbar province 150km west Baghdad
served principal US-led coalition aviation facility Apache helicopter
operations F-16 close air support drone surveillance counter-ISIS missions 2014
territorial defeat. Iraqi army 5th Division Federal Police units assumed full
perimeter security internal force protection aviation operations centre air
traffic control tower base life support functions complete transition
documentation.
Iraqi defence ministry spokesman confirmed January 17 US
personnel exited base Iraqi armed forces assumed complete control small number
soldiers remained briefly logistical challenges resolution security reasons
detail restriction. Base infrastructure runways hangars fuel storage ammunition
bunkers power generation transferred Iraqi ownership operation maintenance
responsibility US Army Corps Engineers facilitation execution.
Erbil airbase us military consolidation kurdistan operations
US forces consolidated operations Erbil Airbase Harir
Airfield Kurdistan Regional Government territory hosting 900 personnel M1A1
Abrams tanks HIMARS rocket systems counter-drone platoons aviation assets
coalition headquarters Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
regional command coordination. KRG President Nechirvan Barzani confirmed
continued US partnership counter-ISIS residual threat Peshmerga
professionalisation Iranian militia containment border security coordination
execution.
Erbil facilities support joint intelligence fusion centres
targeting cells US Special Operations Command Central embedded advisors
Peshmerga Counter-Terrorism Service operations Iranian-backed militia
activities monitoring cross-border threat disruption documentation. US State
Department Bureau Political-Military Affairs allocated $250 million annual
Peshmerga assistance equipment training sustainment regional stability
contribution KRG security force capacity enhancement execution.
US-iraq bilateral security agreement 2024 implementation
2024 US-Iraq bilateral security agreement signed Washington
Baghdad outlined coalition-to-bilateral transition Operation Inherent Resolve
military mission conclusion advisory partnership evolution 2025-2026 roadmap
execution. US-Iraq Higher Military Coordination Committee chaired CENTCOM
General Michael Kurilla Iraqi Joint Chiefs General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah
finalised Ain al-Asad closure Erbil consolidation September 2025-September 2026
phases documentation.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed
parliamentary approval January 12 2026 sovereign partnership excludes permanent
bases combat operations limits advisory training presence five-year renewable
term parliamentary oversight execution. US Embassy Baghdad Political-Military
Affairs Section facilitated $1.2 billion Foreign Military Sales M1A1 Abrams
AH-64E Apache counter-drone systems sustainment packages congressional
notification execution.
Iraqi joint operations command withdrawal announcement
Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi Iraqi Joint
Operations Command deputy commander announced December 30 2025 press conference
Baghdad coalition mission concluded bilateral memoranda understandings United
States France Britain Italy expertise exchange intelligence sharing training
equipment provision Iraqi sovereignty independence support security forces
development. Muhammadawi confirmed Ain al-Asad full withdrawal next week Iraqi
units handover timetable completion agreed three months prior Joint Operations
Command conclusion coalition personnel absence base execution.
Iraqi army colonel confirmed US forces departure small number
soldiers logistical challenges security reasons detail restriction Iraqi
defence ministry statement documentation. Withdrawal achievement Iraqi
capabilities sovereignty US coalition countries understanding bilateral mission
transition Joint Operations Command coordination execution.
Kurdistan regional government security partnership
continuation
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani Interior Minister Reber
Ahmed confirmed US military partnership continuation counterterrorism border
security Iranian militia activities weapons smuggling prevention Peshmerga
modernisation $450 million annual assistance coordination. Erbil Airbase hosts
US Marine Corps artillery battery M777 howitzers counter-drone systems aviation
squadron regional air picture fusion coalition partners NATO mission Iraq
execution.
KRG Counter-Terrorism Service joint operations centres Erbil
Sulaymaniyah intelligence sharing US SOCCENT advisors Iranian-backed militia
cross-border operations coordination documentation. US Institute Peace KRG partnership
assessment 85 percent Peshmerga operational readiness counterterrorism missions
US equipment training contribution regional stability execution.
Operation inherent resolve mission advisory evolution
Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
transitioned combat operations advisory capacity 2,500 US personnel Iraq Syria
900 KRG 1,600 Baghdad Erbil consolidated counterterrorism missions execution.
CJTF-OIR Commander confirmed ISIS territorial defeat sustained partner force
capacity enablement US intelligence precision airstrikes close air support
coordination documentation.
US Special Operations Command Central maintains 12
Operational Detachment-Alpha teams embedded Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service
Golden Division Peshmerga village stability operations local security
development execution. US Air Forces Central Command provides joint terminal
attack controllers partner forces targeting intelligence fusion centres
nationwide operations coordination maintenance.
Iraqi security forces base operations sustainment capacity
Iraqi Ministry Defence 5th Division Anbar operations
readiness 95 percent manned equipped counter-insurgency counter-terrorism
capabilities demonstrated joint patrols base security transitions
documentation. Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service 2nd Brigade assumed Ain al-Asad
intelligence fusion targeting cells operations centre 24/7 manned US advisors
embedded transition completion execution.
US Central Command assessment Iraqi forces 92 percent
operational self-sufficiency counter-ISIS missions casualty evacuation medical
logistics independence major incident-free withdrawal execution. Iraqi Special
Operations Forces CTIF assumed nationwide counterterrorism lead US advisors
joint planning targeting coordination sustainment documentation.
US central command regional force posture adjustments
USCENTCOM announced Iraq drawdown Syria 900 personnel
consolidation Jordan 3,000 rotational B-52 deployments Diego Garcia
prepositioned equipment Middle East deterrence missions execution. CENTCOM
Commander General Michael Kurilla Senate Armed Services Committee testimony
January 14 2026 Iran-backed militia attacks reduction 92 percent US withdrawal
period documentation.
USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Arabian Sea Red Sea
patrol Houthi threats neutralisation freedom navigation operations coordination
execution. US Marine Corps 26th Expeditionary Unit Mediterranean crisis
response surge capacity regional contingencies documentation.
Iraqi parliament security agreement ratification process
Iraqi Council Representatives approved US-Iraq bilateral
security agreement January 12 2026 210-112 vote sovereign partnership national
interests alignment framework execution. Prime Minister Sudani confirmed
agreement parliamentary oversight KRG Parliament Erbil approval regional
security cooperation US partnership counterterrorism Iranian militia
containment coordination.
Kirkuk oil revenue sharing Erbil-Baghdad $350 million
monthly transfers KRG budget stabilisation Iraqi federal forces coordination US
Embassy Consulate General Erbil facilitation execution. US Institute Peace
documented 78 percent Ninewa Sinjar population confidence joint security
operations sectarian violence reduction 92 percent 2020-2025 documentation.
Counter-isis residual threat monitoring operations
US intelligence assessment ISIS 10,000-15,000 fighters Iraq
Syria dispersed cells external operations capability reconstitution threat
monitoring documentation. Iraqi CTS dismantled 28 ISIS cells 2025 162
high-value target arrests US intelligence targeting coordination execution.
Syrian Democratic Forces 8,500 ISIS detainees Al-Hol camps
45,000 family members US humanitarian assistance $250 million coalition funding
documentation. CJTF-OIR external operations watch centres monitor ISIS Europe
North America travel lone actor plots disruption coordination execution.
Foreign military sales iraq sustainment deliveries
US Foreign Military Sales Iraq $12.8 billion active cases
M1A1 Abrams 500 units AH-64E Apache 36 aircraft counter-drone integrated air
missile defence sustainment execution. Defense Security Cooperation Agency $950
million M1A1 tank sustainment Foreign Military Financing congressional
notification documentation.
Iraqi Air Force F-16 Block 52 34 aircraft squadrons
counter-insurgency US contractors maintenance training execution. RQ-21
Blackjack UAV 18 units Iraqi Army aviation surveillance reconnaissance
sustainment documentation.
