NATO temporarily withdraws mission personnel from Iraq

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said on March 20 that it had withdrawn all personnel from Iraq and redeployed them to Europe amid security concerns.

The alliance said the move was temporary and that several hundred staff members had been relocated. The personnel will continue their work from a NATO command center in Naples, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

A NATO official said the withdrawal was precautionary and linked to the current security situation. A NATO spokesperson confirmed that the mission had been redeployed but emphasiaed that its mandate remains unchanged.

NATO has maintained a presence in Iraq since 2004. In recent years, the deployment has operated as a non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission aimed at supporting Iraqi security institutions and armed forces. The mission focuses on training officers and specialists rather than conducting combat operations.

Iraq, which shares a roughly 1,000-mile land border with Iran, has recently come under attack from Iranian forces, according to reports.

By Sabina Mammadli