US troops pull out of major Iraq airbase amid ongoing regional consolidation effort, progress against ISIS

18 Jan 2026 By foxnews

U.S. troops have pulled out of Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, Fox News has learned.

The withdrawal from the base, which is part of an ongoing effort to consolidate troops in the region that was announced last fall, was completed by Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) sources told Fox News.

"We're able to consolidate because of the significant progress made there - ISIS in Iraq doesn't pose a threat beyond Iraq's capacity to handle on their own," a U.S. official told Fox News. The officials added that it speaks to "our success in rooting out the ISIS threat in Iraq and Iraqi forces' willingness and progress in standing on their own."

The official added that U.S. forces are consolidating outside of federal Iraqi territory, meaning they're concentrating forces elsewhere to focus on engaging remnants of ISIS in Syria.

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The move comes as CENTCOM is calling for cooperation and teamwork among Syrian partners in coordination with American forces to combat ISIS.

"We welcome ongoing efforts by all parties in Syria to prevent escalation and pursue resolution through dialogue. We also urge Syrian government forces to cease any offensive actions in areas between Aleppo and al-Tabqa. Aggressively pursuing ISIS and relentlessly applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners and coordination with U.S. and coalition forces. A Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is essential to peace and stability across the region," Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement posted on X.

The statement appeared to be a call for additional coordination in countering ISIS rather than a warning to Damascus.

On Jan. 10, CENTCOM announced that the U.S., alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was announced on Dec. 19, 2025 at the direction of President Donald Trump. The operation was launched "in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria," CENTCOM said in a statement.

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The Jan. 10 strikes came as U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said he met in Damascus with Syria's new leadership to discuss the country's future.

"Today, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus," Barrack wrote on X.

Barrack said the talks focused on "recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria's historic transition," adding that the United States "welcomes Syria's historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa."

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War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike back in December, saying it was in response to an attack on U.S. forces in Syria that occurred on Dec. 13. Hegseth said the actions were "not the beginning of a war" but rather "a declaration of vengeance."

"Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria," Hegseth wrote on X.

On Dec. 19, American military forces employed more than 100 precision munitions to strike more than 70 targets of suspected ISIS sites at several locations across the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

Trump previously vowed revenge on the terror group after the soldiers - Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa - and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan - were killed while conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.

The gunman was killed by partner forces.

"Because of ISIS's vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible," he wrote on Truth Social on Dec. 19.

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr and Louis Casiano, and Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.