Security
Italy's Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday the completion of the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, thereby ending a twelve-year military presence in the country. This withdrawal marks a strategic shift, as Rome had already pulled out most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, following a nighttime air raid targeting a military base in the Kurdistan region. Italian forces actively participated in "Operation Inherent Resolve," the US-led campaign against the ISIS terrorist organization, as well as in the NATO mission in Iraq. This NATO mission was a non-combat advisory task aimed at building Iraqi security capabilities. A statement from the Italian Ministry of Defense clarified that Italian and NATO forces had agreed with local authorities to depart the region by September 30. For his part, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that this withdrawal process represents "a transition towards Iraq taking greater responsibility for its own security." In a related context, the Ministry noted that two Italian Carabinieri officers would remain in Iraq as part of the European Union Advisory Mission, which operates with the approval of the Iraqi government.
