❗️Italy completes 12-year military withdrawal from Iraq

Italy completed the withdrawal of its remaining troops from Iraq on Tuesday, bringing an end to its 12-year military presence in the country, according to a defense ministry statement.

Rome had withdrawn most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, following an overnight air strike on a military base in the Kurdistan region.

The ministry said Italian and NATO forces had reached an agreement with local authorities to vacate the area by 30 September.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal represented a shift toward greater Iraqi responsibility for maintaining the country's security.

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