Iraq says US hub at Baghdad airport will be handed over

Iraq's foreign ministry said Thursday that the United States will hand over a diplomatic and logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport to the Iraqi government.

The ministry said an agreement was signed with US charge d'affaires Steven Fagin to transfer the diplomatic support centre affiliated with the US embassy. It said the move was part of efforts to end the US-led coalition's military presence in Iraq, with remaining troops set to complete their exit by September 30.

An Iraqi security official and a diplomatic source told AFP earlier this month that US troops had already evacuated the site.

The airport facility was repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed groups during the Middle East war. The groups targeted US sites more than 600 times, including the Baghdad airport site, during the war.

Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to end the coalition mission against the Islamic State group in Iraq. Coalition forces are now only present at Erbil airport after withdrawing from other bases.