The escalation of attacks between Israel, the United States, and Iran in the Middle East is forcing countries in the region to prevent and protect their citizens, as well as international organizations to reorganize their presence in the countries. One of the first consequences of the conflict is being felt in Iraq, where NATO is going to "readjust" its mission there, a deployment in which Spain participates. The Minister of Defense has stated that this will require evacuating the troops on the ground.
Last Sunday, the Ministry of Defense reported in a statement that they had to remove the Spanish military and personnel from the National Intelligence Center from Erbil. At that time, the minister announced that they had been taken to "a safe place" without providing further details on their location, possibly near Baghdad.
This Wednesday, just 72 hours later, new decisions are being made because the Transatlantic Organization recognizes that the security of its personnel is "paramount," and Iraq continues to be targeted by Iran. "We can confirm that we are adjusting our posture within the framework of the NATO mission in Iraq," said Alliance spokesperson Allison Hart to EFE.
Hart explained that they are currently "working closely with allies and partners." She also made it clear that "political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and Iraq, including through the NATO mission in Iraq, will continue."
They emphasized that the NATO mission in Iraq (NMI) will continue its advisory and capacity-building tasks, separate from combat, which "helps Iraq to build more sustainable, transparent, inclusive, and effective institutions and security forces, so that they can stabilize their country, fight terrorism, and prevent the return of the Islamic State." Margarita Robles has confirmed the evacuation efforts, which will take place in the coming days.
Since 2015, Spain, along with armed forces from other countries, has been collaborating with Iraq to strengthen its military forces to defeat ISIS and achieve established national objectives. With a deployment of 178 troops, they participate in the NATO mission, as well as in a joint coalition created by the U.S. Department of Defense in which several countries contribute on the ground to combat terrorism in Iraq.
Since last November, Lieutenant Colonel Juan Álvaro Rodríguez Rodríguez, leading the UFP A/I XXIII, and Commander Carlos Estebaranz Navarro have been leading the missions on behalf of Spain.