Italy ends 12-year military presence in Iraq with final troop withdrawal

Italy has completed the withdrawal of its final military contingent from Iraq, bringing an end to its 12-year military deployment in the Arab country, according to an official defense ministry statement.

The development, announced on Tuesday, comes after Rome had already withdrawn most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, following an overnight airstrike that targeted a military base in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Italian forces were part of the US-led coalition purportedly formed to fight the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, as well as the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI). Their role involved non-combat advisory and capacity-building activities.

The statement noted that Italian and US-led NATO forces had reached an agreement with Iraqi authorities to withdraw from the country by September 30.

Iraqi MP: US forces’ September 30 withdrawal certain; foreign troops no longer needed

Iraq says US forces will leave the country by September 30, stressing that Baghdad no longer needs foreign troops.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal marked a shift towards Iraq taking "greater responsibility" for its own security.

Two Italian Carabinieri officers will continue their deployment in Iraq as part of the European Union’s EUAM Iraq mission.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has stated that the September 30 deadline for termination of the US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq and the full withdrawal of its forces is “fixed and final.”

US forces withdrew from most bases across Iraq last year; however, they continued to have a presence in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

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