NATO is withdrawing its mission personnel from Iraq due to the war in Iran
21 March 15:12
NATO has “safely redeployed” personnel from its mission in Iraq (NMI, NATO Mission in Iraq) to Europe amid escalating tensions in the Middle East caused by the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. This was reported by NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), according to [Komersant].
Commander of the Allied Forces General Alexus Grinkevich thanked Iraq and all allies for “assisting in the safe redeployment of NATO personnel,” as well as “the dedicated men and women of the NATO Mission in Iraq who continued to carry out their mission throughout this period.”
According to German Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, German military personnel involved in the NMI “have returned home safely.” He clarified that the withdrawal of Alliance personnel was carried out “with significant participation by the Bundeswehr.” Several transport aircraft evacuated personnel from Baghdad “under very risky conditions.”
The NATO mission in Iraq was launched in 2018
NMI is an advisory mission that provides Iraq with support in building its armed and security forces. It has been stationed in the country since 2018, and among its main objectives is to assist Baghdad in preventing the resurgence of the Islamist group “Islamic State” (IS), designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Russia, the United States, and many other countries and international organizations.
