Phoenix 24
The withdrawal is now fully underway.
Madrid, March 2026
Spain has successfully evacuated 200 additional military personnel from Iraq, completing a major phase of its emergency withdrawal as regional instability continues to deepen. The operation follows the earlier relocation of nearly 100 Spanish troops and confirms that Madrid has now moved the bulk of its contingent out of the country amid the worsening security environment linked to the wider war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The evacuation marks a significant step in Spain’s response to the rapid deterioration of conditions in Iraq. What began as a partial relocation of special forces and mission personnel has now become a broader extraction effort covering troops deployed under both the anti-Islamic State coalition and NATO’s advisory mission. The move reflects the speed with which Iraq has shifted from a difficult operational environment to one judged too unstable for continued normal deployment.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles had already warned that the situation on the ground had become increasingly dangerous after missile fire, drone threats and broader regional escalation disrupted military operations and raised direct concerns about troop safety. The evacuation of the remaining 200 personnel confirms that Madrid has prioritized force protection over continued presence in a theatre that is now seen as highly exposed to spillover violence.
The withdrawal also fits into a wider pattern among NATO countries and Western partners reassessing their military footprint in Iraq. As the regional conflict expands and the security balance worsens, missions originally framed around advising Iraqi forces or supporting counterterrorism efforts are being suspended, relocated or restructured. Spain’s evacuation is therefore not an isolated move, but part of a broader allied retreat from a theatre that has become increasingly unpredictable.
The political message is equally clear. Spain has already distanced itself from the war at the diplomatic level, ruling out participation in military operations linked to the conflict and emphasizing the need to protect its personnel and its domestic economy from the fallout. The evacuation from Iraq extends that position into military practice, reducing exposure in a region where strategic uncertainty has sharply increased.
For now, the immediate priority appears to have been achieved. Spain has managed to extract its forces from Iraq in stages while avoiding a larger operational crisis. But the broader meaning of the evacuation is harder to ignore. A mission that once symbolized international stabilization has now been overtaken by a regional war severe enough to force allied forces out altogether.
Phoenix24: clarity in the grey zone. / Phoenix24: clarity in the grey zone.