Nation / PlaceIQ

Erbil Air Base

Coalition military enclave inside Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan

The last American troops left Erbil Air Base on 30 September 2026, closing the Iraq leg of Operation Inherent Resolve. Most of the mission's 1,500 Coalition personnel were based there, and Iraqi forces now hold the security task.

Last refreshed: 1 October 2026

Key Question

What did America lose when it handed back the base at Erbil?

Timeline for Erbil Air Base

#180 30 Sept

Emptied of American and coalition personnel

Iran Conflict 2026: US flies its last troops out of Erbil

#162 24 Jul

Mentioned in: 62 wounded vanish from Pentagon toll

Iran Conflict 2026

View full timeline →

Background

Erbil Air Base is the walled military section of Erbil International Airport, in the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Neither the airport nor the city of Erbil falls inside its perimeter. Civilian flights work the same Runway complex, and the Kurdish authorities keep the airport open; the Coalition held a fenced compound on one side of it. That geography is why drone attacks between 2021 and 2024 were reported as hitting an airport.

The compound was the hub of the counter-Islamic State Coalition in Iraq, a campaign the Combined Joint Task Force has run since 2014. It was also the last American land basing within short flying distance of Iran, which is what made its handover a strategic fact rather than a logistical one.

Washington and Baghdad agreed the drawdown timetable in September 2024, so the departure followed a schedule rather than the fighting. Under that same plan, Iraqi Army control of Ain al-Asad Airbase had come first, in January 2026, with Erbil following on 30 September 2026. The task force itself did not close: it moved its headquarters to Jordan and continues working in Syria.

Common Questions

Where is Erbil Air Base?

It is the military section of Erbil International Airport, in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbil_International_Airport

Did American troops leave Erbil Air Base?

Yes. US Central Command flew its last troops out on 30 September 2026, ending the Iraq leg of Operation Inherent Resolve.Source: https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/942949/centcom-completes-departure-from-erbil-air-base-hands-iraqs-security-to-iraqi-forces

Is Erbil Air Base the same as Erbil airport?

No. The air base is a fenced Coalition compound inside the wider airport, which also handles civilian flights.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbil_International_Airport

Why did the United States give up Erbil Air Base?

It ran on a drawdown timetable Washington and Baghdad agreed in September 2024, which also covered Ain al-Asad in January 2026.Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraq-takes-control-of-ain-al-asad-airbase-as-coalition-forces-withdraw/3802726

Source Material

CENTCOM completes departure from Erbil Air Base Erbil International Airport

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Tehran treated Iraq-based American aircraft as a standing threat on its western flank. The closure removes the nearest land launch point for an American strike.

Iraq

Baghdad pressed for an end to the coalition presence after years of militia attacks on coalition compounds. Iraqi forces now hold the security responsibility the coalition carried.

United States

Central Command presents the departure as a mission completed, on a schedule agreed two years earlier. Admiral Brad Cooper told the departing force that Islamic State no longer threatens Iraq's national security.