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2h ago

NATO Pulls All Personnel From Iraq Mission, Shifts Operations to Naples

Heightened threats from the Iran war prompted a temporary shift of the advisory mission to NATO's Naples headquarters.

Image
A woman carrying a child walks past an armoured vehicle as Turkish army and security personnel search a field after a piece of ammunition fell following the interception of a missile launched from Iran by a NATO air defence system, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich attends a joint news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Geert Vanden Wijngaert/File Photo
Iraq is home to both US and Nato forces and an array of pro-Iran factions, leaving it exposed to the crossfire of the regional war. AFP

Overview

  • NATO said the last members of NATO Mission Iraq departed on March 20 and that advisory work will continue from Joint Force Command Naples.
  • A NATO official said the relocation involves several hundred personnel drawn from allied nations and partners including Austria and Australia.
  • The mission, launched in 2018, remains a non-combat advisory effort focused on strengthening Iraqi security forces and preventing an ISIS resurgence.
  • The move follows recent attacks on British, French and Italian bases in Iraq linked to the Iran war, while countries such as Poland, Spain and Croatia have also pulled forces.
  • Officials characterize the relocation as a temporary security adjustment, and Canada confirmed its deployed members and civilians were moved to a secure location and are safe.