According to Kurdistan Press, as written by Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, these actions appear to have been carried out within the framework of preparations for the withdrawal of the remaining American forces from Iraq in accordance with the agreement between Washington and Baghdad.

It is worth noting that this operation coincided with the thwarting of an attempt to attack the US consulate in Erbil and the issuance of a warning by the US Embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil to warn American citizens to prepare for the possibility of security tension.A statement from the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Erbil stated that US diplomatic facilities were targeted and that there is a possibility that US interests and US-related companies and institutions in various regions of the world will be targeted in the wake of tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Security and political sources in Erbil told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the operation to evacuate non-essential personnel, including a team of trainers and advisors, in addition to transferring various equipment from the Harir base to the Erbil airport, had begun in coordination with the US military in the previous days.

These sources indicated that the transfer operation included the Patriot system, which was moved from its current location at the Harir base to the vicinity of the US consulate.According to these sources, US forces have begun a gradual transfer from the last major military base in the country, Harir Base, to outside Iraq as part of the military withdrawal operation.

They noted that equipment and weapons have been donated to the Peshmerga forces, but air defense systems, including Patriot and Siram, have been moved from Harir Base to near the US Consulate and have not yet left Iraq.

A source said that the US military has begun transferring various equipment and mechanisms, along with military advisors or civilian contractors, out of Iraq in the past few days.

He emphasized that the defense systems were not removed from Erbil, but were moved from an area near the US Consulate in Erbil.

Al-Monitor had previously reported that the US had begun withdrawing its remaining forces from Iraq.The news site explained that the withdrawal of American forces comes at a time when the region is witnessing security tensions and attacks against the Kurdistan Region of Iraq continue, which raises concerns about the reduction of the US military presence and the increase in security threats against the region.

It is worth noting that Baghdad and Washington agreed on a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq in 2024. Despite the reduction in military presence, the United States has repeatedly emphasized that it will continue to cooperate with Iraqi forces in the areas of training, information exchange, and the fight against ISIS.

The Harir base is the last US military base in Iraq after the US forces handed over the Ain al-Assad base in western Anbar to Iraq in January.

In this regard, Idris Shaaban, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq, pointed out that the decision to withdraw America from Iraq and the region is also valid.He explained that there are many concerns about the impact of the US withdrawal and the removal of the air defense system, as this will create a large gap that will be exploited by armed groups and Iran, in addition to terrorist organizations.

The member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq said that this issue must be resolved immediately by the Iraqi federal government.

On the other hand, Karim Aqrawi, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq, said that the decision to withdraw US forces is a decision related to Baghdad.

In an interview with Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, he clarified that the region respects the decisions of the federal government, but is concerned about the spread of threats from armed groups against the region and considering this withdrawal as a victory.Aqrawi explained that the gradual withdrawal of US and other coalition forces should be accompanied by a gradual reduction in the role of armed groups and their disarmament after the end of the pretext for the presence of foreign forces.

On the other hand, Iraqi security and political researcher Muhammad al-Asad noted that, according to media reports, the new location for the Patriot system has not been determined due to security and tactical considerations related to the protection of sensitive military assets.

He stressed that it seems that the defense systems have not been removed from Erbil because none of the neighboring countries need them, as there is a real need to provide security around the US consulate.

Al-Asad said that Erbil still needs heavy defense systems such as Patriot, but relies more on short-range air defense systems such as the Siram system and anti-drone systems.