US troops begin unilateral withdrawal from key bases in Iraq

US forces have begun a “sudden” and “unannounced” withdrawal from the Ain al-Asad airbase, a military facility in western Iraq, and the Victory Base Complex (VBC).

Informed political sources revealed that US forces have been relocated to alternative locations, including a base in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, while other troops have been relocated to a “neighbouring” and undisclosed Arab country.

The sources explained that the US has officially informed Iraqi authorities of its decision to accelerate the pace of withdrawal from the aforementioned bases, announcing its non-compliance with the previously set timetable under the Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries.

The withdrawal is expected to have significant repercussions on the security balance in Iraq, particularly in the western and central regions, where the US troops used the Ain al-Asad airbase as a key support point for its operations against ISIS and for monitoring Iranian movements in the region.

For its part, the Iraqi government has not yet issued an official comment regarding the sudden withdrawal or its implications for future military cooperation with the US.