During the visit, Trump told reporters that he has "no plans at all" to remove US troops from Iraq, instead stressing his interests in wanting soldiers to vacate from Syria, AP reported. POTUS added that Iraq could be used as a base to stage attacks on the Islamic State (IS) militants.

45 reportedly told journalists that, if needed, Washington could attack militants "so fast and so hard [that they] won't know what the hell happened."

This visit marks the first time that Trump has visited a war zone since becoming president, Sputnik reported.

"I think a lot of people are going to come around to my way of thinking," Trump, speaking on his decision to remove troops from Syria, told reporters at the base. "It's time for us to start using our head."

WikiLeaks previously sounded off on the Wednesday visit, sharing an image with a caption that read, "Is Trump on a surprise visit to Afghanistan? Turkey? Flight trackers show that one of two planes used for Air Force One (92-9000/VC-25) using what appears to be a fake HEXCODE of AW47C4, departed Andrews Air Force base at midnight."

Trump is also expected to visit US service members stationed at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on his flight back to the US.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted on Wedenesday: “President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas.”

Trump’s unannounced visit to Iraq followed in the footsteps of two of his predecessors, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama, who both made surprise trips to see troops.

The US military says it has about 5,200 troops in Iraq, focused on training and advising Iraqi troops to ensure that Islamic State does not re-emerge.

Reporter’s code: 50101