U.S. forces have withdrawn from Iraq's Ain al-Asad Airbase, which housed U.S.-led forces in Western Iraq, and the Iraqi army has assumed full control, the Iraqi defence ministry said on Saturday.
In 2024, Washington and Baghdad reached an understanding, opens new tab on plans for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq and a move towards a bilateral security relationship.
Ain al-Asad has hosted U.S. and coalition troops for years and has been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed armed groups during periods of heightened regional tensions, including after the 2020 U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
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