Shafaq News – Al-Anbar

The first phase of the US military withdrawal from Iraq has begun in western Al-Anbar province, a security source told Shafaq News on Monday.

The source said a convoy departed Ain al-Asad Air Base carrying trucks loaded with military vehicles and is expected to move toward Syrian territory.

Ain al-Asad, located about 10 kilometers from the town of al-Baghdadi, is Iraq’s second-largest air base after Balad. It has served as a central hub for US forces and houses the command of the 7th Division.

The withdrawal follows a 2022 Baghdad–Washington agreement that set September 2025 as the point to begin scaling down the US presence. Washington had returned troops to Iraq in 2014 at Baghdad’s request to lead the Global Coalition against ISIS, a campaign that grew to 87 members. Initially focused on combat operations, the mission later shifted toward training, intelligence, and advisory support under Operation Inherent Resolve.

Today, about 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq.

The reduction comes amid renewed warnings from US officials of persistent ISIS activity, alongside growing Iraqi political demands for full sovereignty and continued pressure from pro-Iran armed factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).