Iraq’s government on Sunday said US forces had completed a “full withdrawal” from military facilities within the country’s federal territory, which excludes the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region where US troops remain. Iraq’s central government does not fully control the Kurdish region in northern Iraq as it’s an autonomous federal entity with its own government, parliament and security forces, recognized by the Iraqi constitution. The Iraqi ministry released a video Saturday showing senior Iraqi military commanders walking through empty halls and corridors inside Al-Asad Air Base. The US Department of Defense’s Central Command told CNN Sunday that “Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s earlier statement indicating the handover were factual,” without providing further details. They said they would surrender their weapons only once Iraq achieves full sovereignty, including the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq.

Source: Egypt Independent January 19, 2026 11:34 UTC