{
  "id": 9727707,
  "title": "US signs deal to hand over diplomatic hub at Baghdad airport to Iraqi government",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/us-signs-deal-to-hand-over-diplomatic-hub-at-baghdad-airport-to-iraqi-9727707",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T07:33:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/25/us-signs-deal-to-hand-over-diplomatic-hub-at-baghdad-airport-to-iraqi-government/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States and Iraq have finalized a deal to transfer a diplomatic and logistics hub situated at Baghdad airport, according to Iraq's Foreign Ministry. This move is part of the preparations for the complete withdrawal of American forces from the country. Steven Fagin, the US charge d’affaires, and Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al Uloom, the Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister, announced the agreement to cede the Diplomatic Support Centre linked to the US embassy at Baghdad International Airport to the Iraqi government. The ceremony signing the agreement took place at Baghdad's Foreign Ministry. The transfer of the hub is set to occur on September 30, just prior to the final departure of US-led coalition troops from Iraq, marking the end of the coalition's military presence in the nation. The transfer is seen as a crucial step in transitioning to a new phase of cooperation and partnership between Iraq and the United States. The US Charge d’affaires expressed the US' support for Iraq stems from efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and explore new avenues for joint cooperation. Iraqi officials have emphasized that the end of the coalition's mission will eliminate a significant reason for militias to retain their weapons. The US-led coalition initially entered Iraq in 2014 at the government's invitation to combat ISIS, which was rapidly advancing across Iraq and into neighboring Syria. The Diplomatic Support Centre, a diplomatic and logistics facility located on the western side of the airport, was initially part of the US Victory Base military installation before being repurposed for diplomatic use during the US troop withdrawal from Iraq in 2011.",
  "summary": "Iraq and the US have signed a deal to transfer a diplomatic and logistics hub at Baghdad airport, Iraq's Foreign Ministry said early on Friday, as part of preparations for the full withdrawal of American forces. The US charge d’affaires Steven Fagin and Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al Uloom announced the deal “to hand over the Diplomatic Support Centre affiliated with the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "US signs deal to hand over diplomatic hub at Baghdad airport to Iraqi government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/us-signs-deal-to-hand-over-diplomatic-hub-at-baghdad-airport-to-iraqi",
        "published": "2026-09-25T07:33:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}