"We can confirm that we are adjusting our posture in the context of NATO Mission Iraq," alliance spokesperson Allison Hart told AFP, declining to provide further details for security reasons.

NATO was "working in close coordination with Allies and partners" on the matter, she said in a statement.

The NATO mission is headquartered in an Iraqi military base in Baghdad's Green Zone near the US embassy, which since the start of the war has been targeted multiple times.

According to its website, the mission established in 2018 currently has several hundred personnel from allies and partner countries Austria and Australia.

It has been headed since May 2025 by a General Christophe Hintzy from France.

A French military source said the mission was "continuing but being relocated."

"They were stationed in Baghdad. A decision was taken to relocate them in line with NATO's posture regarding non?combat missions. Given the current threat environment, it is less relevant to keep them in place," the source said.

Another source with knowledge of the redeployment confirmed the mission was being moved out of the country.

NATO's mission in Iraq provides assistance, advice and training to the Iraqi security forces involved in counter?jihadist operations, aiming in particular to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The Alliance spokesperson said "NATO and Iraq's political dialogue and practical cooperation, including through NATO Mission Iraq, will continue".

Two Iraqi security officials earlier told AFP the NATO mission had been pulled out of the country due to the US-Israeli war with Iran.

"There is no disagreement" with Iraq's government, one official said, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. "It's a temporary withdrawal. They are worried because of the situation," he added.

A second official described seeing at least 45 US soldiers leave their base on Friday morning, saying the "entire mission" had withdrawn for a small contingent made up of Turkish and Romanian personnel.