NATO withdrew the last of its military trainers from Iraq on Friday, as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continued to prompt retaliatory attacks in other Persian Gulf countries, including Iraq.
The alliance’s military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, said in a statement that it was “safely relocating” the Iraq mission personnel to Europe.
The NATO mission in Iraq was created in 2018 as a noncombat training and advisory effort to bolster badly shaken Iraqi security forces. At the time, the Islamic State was retreating from its deadly rampage in northern Iraq and Syria. The NATO mission sought to ensure that Iraqi forces could stabilize their country and prevent the Islamic State’s return.
Its departure came 23 years to the day after an American-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple its president, Saddam Hussein, triggering a civil war that left the country unstable and vulnerable. U.S. combat troops withdrew at the end of 2011, and months later the Islamic State insurgency began.
NATO’s top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich of the United States, thanked Iraqi officials and allies in a statement Friday announcing that the security mission was being relocated to Naples, Italy. It was not clear when, or if, they would return.
Among the Iraqi armed groups that fought the Islamic State were militias backed by Iran. American and Iranian-backed forces have clashed repeatedly in Iraq, including militias that have targeted American diplomatic posts as recently as last week.
Fewer than 1,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, down from a peak of about 165,000 in early 2008.
Allison Hart, a NATO spokesperson, said the alliance’s training mission would continue. “The safety and security of our personnel is paramount,” she said. She declined to provide additional details.
Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.
Lara Jakes, a Times reporter based in Rome, reports on conflict and diplomacy, with a focus on weapons and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years.
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