NATO has withdrawn all personnel from its non-combat advisory mission in Iraq, the military alliance confirmed Friday. The move comes as repercussions from conflicts in the Middle East, including the Iran war, spread across the region.
The decision to relocate all personnel to Europe was made for safety reasons, following signals of waning U.S. interest in the mission. NATO stated it was “adjusting” the posture of its mission in response to the escalating situation.
Established in 2018, the NATO mission focused on training and advising Iraqi security forces. Iraq has been facing retaliatory attacks amid ongoing regional conflicts.
The withdrawal marks a complete relocation of the alliance’s advisory presence from Iraq to Europe.