Quick read
- Iraqi and regional outlets report that Victory Base, near Baghdad International Airport, is now clear of U.S. forces.
- Iraq's foreign minister said U.S. and coalition forces completed withdrawal under the September timetable.
- The exact legal handover document for the airport headquarters was not directly accessible in background checks.
What happened
Iraqi and regional reports say the U.S. military presence at the Victory Base area near Baghdad International Airport has ended, marking a visible step in Iraq's transition away from the U.S.-led coalition's military mission.
Al Araby Al Jadeed reported on September 27 that Abdul Amir al-Shammari, director of the office of Iraq's commander-in-chief, said Victory Base west of Baghdad was "completely" free of U.S. presence. The report described the base as adjacent to Baghdad International Airport and as the main command-and-control complex used by U.S. and coalition forces after the 2003 invasion.
The same report said Iraqi authorities were receiving sites previously used by foreign forces one after another under the withdrawal arrangements. It also cited the broader Iraqi position that there would be no foreign combat forces or foreign military bases after September 30.
On September 28, Al Sharq, citing Qatar News Agency, reported that Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said U.S. and coalition forces had completed their withdrawal from Iraq according to the timetable ending in September. Hussein said Iraqi security forces now hold full responsibility for security and stability, while Baghdad and Washington continue talks on a new bilateral security and economic partnership.
What is confirmed
The strongest confirmed point is not the viral wording itself, but the reported operational outcome: Iraqi officials are saying the foreign military footprint in Baghdad has been cleared as the coalition mission reaches its deadline.
Al Araby's account specifically names Victory Base, places it near Baghdad airport, and attributes the claim to a senior official in the office of the Iraqi prime minister. It also quotes an Iraqi Interior Ministry official saying this was the first time the base could be described as free of foreign and U.S. forces.
Al Sharq's QNA-sourced report adds a second strand: Iraq's foreign minister said the U.S. and coalition withdrawal had been completed under the schedule. That supports the wider claim that Iraq is moving from a coalition military presence to a different form of bilateral cooperation.
What is not confirmed
NoDechev did not find, through background fetch, a directly accessible Iraqi government handover protocol, Security Media Cell statement, Joint Operations Command release, U.S. military statement, or U.S. embassy statement explicitly saying the "U.S. headquarters at Baghdad Airport" had been formally handed over to Iraqi forces.
Google News indexed a Euronews Arabic headline from September 25 saying Iraq and the United States signed an agreement to hand over the American center at Baghdad Airport. The direct article was not retrievable through background fetch, so that headline is treated as discovery context rather than standalone proof of the detailed claim.
That is why the fair verdict is PARTIALLY CONFIRMED: the reported withdrawal and Iraqi control of former foreign-force sites are well supported by regional reporting and an Iraqi foreign minister statement reported by QNA, but the exact formal handover document is still missing from the record available here.
Image: Baghdad International Airport — Jim Gordon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Why it matters
Victory Base is not just another military site. It became one of the central U.S. command locations in Iraq after 2003 and sits beside Baghdad International Airport, a highly sensitive gateway for Iraq's government, foreign missions and security services.
If the base is now cleared of U.S. forces, the move gives Baghdad a stronger political basis to say the coalition's military mission has ended. It also shifts the test from foreign-force withdrawal to Iraqi capacity: air support, intelligence, border control, counter-ISIS operations and management of armed factions that have justified their weapons around the presence of U.S. troops.
The change does not necessarily mean an end to all U.S.-Iraq security ties. The reporting points to a new phase of bilateral cooperation, including training, intelligence and economic-security discussions. That distinction matters because "withdrawal" can describe the end of a coalition combat or military mission while a smaller advisory, diplomatic or partnership channel remains.
What to watch next
The next useful confirmation would be a direct Iraqi or U.S. statement naming the Baghdad airport site, the exact date of transfer, the Iraqi unit or ministry that received it, and whether any U.S. personnel remain in Iraq under embassy, advisory or bilateral security arrangements.
Also watch the September 30 deadline. If Iraqi officials publish a formal closure or transfer statement after that date, it will either strengthen the current claim or clarify that some part of the transition was still administrative rather than fully completed on September 27-28.
NoDechev rating
PARTIALLY CONFIRMED. The withdrawal and clearing of Victory Base are supported by regional reporting and a reported Iraqi foreign minister statement. The exact "officially handed over" wording still lacks a directly accessible primary handover document.