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World

Italy completes troop withdrawal from Iraq

Italy has withdrawn its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence, with only two Carabinieri officers remaining under an EU mission.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 1 min read

An Italian Carabinieri officer observes Iraqi police self-defence training at Camp Dublin, Iraq, in August 2011.
Photo: Spc. Karen Sampson / US Army, via Wikimedia Commons

Italy on Tuesday completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, a defence ministry statement said.

Rome had already recalled most of its personnel by March 2026, after an overnight US air strike targeted a military base in the Kurdistan region.

Italian forces took part in the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State and in NATO Mission Iraq, the alliance’s non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission. The statement said Italian and NATO forces had agreed with local authorities to leave the area by 30 September.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal marked a transition towards greater Iraqi responsibility for its own security.

Two Italian Carabinieri officers will remain in Iraq under the European Union’s EUAM Iraq mission, which operates with the Iraqi government’s approval, the ministry said.

The pullout closes Rome’s 12-year deployment, leaving only the two EU-mission officers in place.

Sources

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