Italy is preparing to bring home its remaining troops from its military base in Erbil, northern Iraq, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday, stressing that the drawdown had already been planned before a missile hit the facility.
According to Crosetto, the strike caused no casualties or injuries among Italian personnel, with all troops reported safe after moving into protected areas as part of pre-planned security procedures.
Withdrawal was planned before the attack
Crosetto said Italy had already started reducing its military footprint in the region due to security concerns. He stated that 102 personnel have already returned to Italy, while around 40 others were relocated to Jordan.
According to Anadolu, he added that the return of the remaining contingent was already being organised, but described the operation as logistically complex because troops cannot be flown out directly. Instead, they are expected to leave by land, most likely via Türkiye, he said.
“This is a NATO base” – questions over intent
Asked whether the attack was deliberate, Crosetto told Italian public broadcaster RAI that it was, pointing out that the facility is a NATO base and also hosts US infrastructure. He said the possibility of an attack had been anticipated, prompting the implementation of security measures earlier in the day.
Broader regional escalation
The minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of escalating conflict involving Iran, following US and Israeli strikes that began on 28 February, and subsequent Iranian retaliation with drone and missile attacks targeting locations in the wider region.
For Hungary, the Erbil base matters because Hungarian soldiers are also deployed in Iraq as part of international efforts, meaning any sustained escalation around key coalition facilities can raise the risk level for allied contingents in the country. Details here:
Iran conflict: Hungarian troops take shelter as attack hits base in Iraq – VIDEO, UPDATE