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

Fox News - WorldCenter-RightEN 3 min read 100% complete by Brie Stimson,Rachel Wolf,Jennifer GriffinJanuary 17, 2026 at 09:54 PM

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U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq on Friday, as part of a regional consolidation effort announced last fall. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) cited significant progress against ISIS in Iraq, stating the group no longer poses a threat beyond Iraqi forces' capacity to handle. The consolidation aims to concentrate U.S. forces outside of federal Iraqi territory to focus on remnants of ISIS in Syria. CENTCOM is urging cooperation among Syrian partners and coordination with U.S. forces to combat ISIS. In January, the U.S. conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched in response to an ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Marco 30% Iran 40% Tom Barrack 40% Brad Cooper 50% Donald Trump ×260% Operation Hawkeye Strike 60% Ain al-Asad Airbase 70% Syria ×780% Iraq ×580% U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) ×585% United States ×1090% Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ×895%

Keywords

isis 100% us troops withdrawal 90% iraq 80% syria 70% regional consolidation 70% centcom 60% counter-isis plan 50% operation hawkeye strike 50% ain al-asad airbase 40% military pressure 40%