Iraq takes full control of Ain al-Asad Air Base

Soldiers from the 65th Special Forces Brigade formed up on the taxiway on the northwest side of Ain al-Asad Air Base, an area previously used by the US-led coalition. (Iraqi Ministry of Defence)

The United States has completed its withdrawal from Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq's western Al-Anbar province, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 18 January.

It said General Abdulamir Rashid Yarallah, the chief of staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces, visited the base to mark the occasion.

It released a video showing Gen Yarallah arriving at the base on an Iraqi Air Force C-130 transport aircraft and inspecting soldiers from the 65th Brigade of the Iraqi Ground Forces' 2nd Special Forces Division. Gen Yarallah was then given a tour of the evacuated coalition area on the north side of the runways where no foreign personnel were seen.

Iraqi officers in a second video said the base's facilities have been allocated to the special forces, Iraqi Army Aviation Command, and Iraqi Air Force who will be co-ordinated by Al-Jazeera Operations Command, which is responsible for the area where the base is located, and the neighbouring Al-Anbar Operations Command.

Neither the coalition nor US Central Command reported the withdrawal.

The US and Iraqi governments announced in September 2024 that Operation ‘Inherent Resolve', the US-led military mission against the Islamic State group, would be concluded in Iraq by the end of September 2025.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in October 2025 that a small US contingent of between 250–300 personnel was still at Ain al-Asad due to “developments in Syria”.