FM: US withdrawal from Ain al-Asad base result of Iraq-Iran cooperation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the withdrawal of U.S.-led international coalition forces from the Ain al-Asad military base was the result of security cooperation between Iran and Iraq.

Araghchi made the remarks during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, which was broadcast by the As-Sumaria television channel.

“The departure of American troops from the Ain al-Asad base is the product of close security cooperation between Iran and Iraq and an important indicator of the strengthening of Iraq’s sovereignty and independence in decision-making,” Araghchi said.

He added that Iran is prepared to work with Iraq to reach a formal security agreement and noted that Tehran is also ready to expand military, political, and economic cooperation with Baghdad.

A day earlier, Iraq’s Ministry of Defence announced that Iraqi armed forces had taken control of the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, which had previously been used by the U.S.-led international coalition.

The ministry emphasised that the Iraqi chief of staff is personally overseeing the transfer of security responsibilities and is directly supervising the deployment of various units and formations across the base.

By Tamilla Hasanova