Exclusive: CENTCOM comments on reports of Patriot missile system withdrawal from Erbil
Exclusive: CENTCOM comments on reports of Patriot missile system withdrawal from Erbil
2026-08-03
Shafaq News – Washington
A US Central Command (CENTCOM) official said on Monday that redeployment and rotation of troops and military assets is continuing in the region, but he neither confirmed nor denied reports that the Patriot air defense system was being withdrawn from Erbil Airport in the Kurdistan Region.
The official, who asked not to be identified, told Shafaq News Agency that “the US Central Command regularly rotates and repositions US forces and military assets to support the missions assigned to them.”
He added: “However, we do not discuss these military movements for reasons related to internal security of secrets and military operations.”
This statement comes amid reports that the US military has begun removing and withdrawing parts of the Patriot missile systems intended to protect Erbil Airport and its military base, which has raised interest and questions about the nature and reasons for these defensive moves in Iraq and the region.
Western reports indicated that the US military began withdrawing its forces stationed near Erbil airport last week, as part of an ongoing operation that included transferring most of the troops and heavy military equipment out of Iraq.
According to a report by Al-Monitor, the US military removed all Patriot air defense systems from the military base in Erbil and moved them to another location, while keeping some other defense systems.
According to the sources, this step comes within the framework of implementing the agreement concluded between Washington and Baghdad regarding the complete withdrawal of US forces from Iraq by September 30, 2026, despite the continued threats and missile and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region.
shafaq.com
