Officially, Iraq declares its military bases free of the international coalition.
Officially, Iraq declares its military bases free of the international coalition.
2026-01-18 04:58
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Supreme Military Committee for Ending the Mission of the International Coalition in Iraq announced on Sunday the completion of the evacuation of all military bases and command headquarters in Iraq from advisors of the International Coalition to Fight ISIS, confirming that Ain al-Asad Air Base and the Joint Operations Command headquarters are now under the full management of the Iraqi security forces .
The committee stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that it had completed the process of evacuating all military bases and command headquarters in the official federal areas in Iraq from the advisors of the international coalition to fight ISIS in Iraq,” explaining that the evacuation was done “with the departure of the few remaining numbers at Ain al-Asad Air Base and the Joint Operations Command headquarters, so that these sites would be under the full administration of the Iraqi security forces .”
She noted that this step came “in implementation of the Iraqi government statement issued on September 27, 2024, which outlined the timetable for ending the military mission of the international coalition to defeat ISIS in Iraq, and in implementation of the outcomes of the joint statement issued on November 6, 2025, between Iraq and the United States of America regarding the future of the bilateral security relationship between the two countries .”
The committee confirmed in its statement the readiness of the Iraqi forces, noting that “our armed forces, in all their branches and formations, now possess the will and full capabilities to extend security throughout the entire country, and we affirm to the whole world that ISIS no longer poses a strategic threat and that our forces are fully capable of preventing its reappearance in Iraq or its infiltration across the borders .”
The committee noted the “completion of the first phase of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq in the federal regions and the transition to a bilateral security relationship with the United States .”
According to the committee, this relationship will focus on activating the memoranda of understanding for military cooperation and developing the capabilities of the armed forces in the areas of equipment, armament, training, exercises, maneuvers and joint operations to ensure their continued readiness and to combat ISIS .
Regarding regional coordination on the Syrian issue, the Iraqi military committee explained that the second phase of the international coalition’s mission to fight ISIS in Syria has begun, and coordination with the international coalition will continue with regard to completely defeating ISIS’s presence in Syria to ensure that these pockets do not affect Iraqi national security, while emphasizing the international coalition’s role in Iraq in providing cross-border logistical support for their operations in Syria through their presence at an airbase in Erbil. The Iraqi army will also carry out operations to fight ISIS in conjunction with the United States, starting from Ain al-Asad airbase when necessary .
The Iraqi army announced on Saturday that it was overseeing the distribution of tasks and duties at Ain al-Assad base, west of Anbar province, following the American withdrawal from the base .
shafaq.com
