Canada, NATO allies pull military mission from Iraq after Iran attacks
Global News
NATO’s top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed earlier Friday that the alliance has pulled several hundred personnel out of Iraq and relocated them to Europe.
The Canadian Armed Forces has joined its NATO allies in withdrawing military personnel from Iraq amid the ongoing Iran war, Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed Friday.
NATO’s top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed earlier Friday that the alliance has pulled several hundred personnel out of Iraq and relocated them to Europe. They were part of NATO’s security advisory mission established in 2018 to advise Iraqi defence and security officials.
“As part of this adjustment, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Canadian civilians deployed with the NATO Mission Iraq have been relocated to a secure location and are safe and accounted for,” McGuinty said in a statement provided by his office.
Grynkewich said the mission will continue its work from Joint Force Command Naples.
The move came after a string of Iranian attacks on other troops at British, French and Italian bases in Iraq, as Tehran steps up its attacks on neghbouring Gulf Arab states in retaliation over U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that began three weeks ago.
Attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have increased after Israel bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field earlier this week. Kuwait and Bahrain reported new strikes on Friday.
Late Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that his administration was considering “winding down” military operations in the Middle East.
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