Iraq and US sign accord handing over diplomatic center at Baghdad Airport

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Government and the United States signed a formal agreement on Thursday, September 24, 2026, transferring full control of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center (BDSC) at Baghdad International Airport to the Iraqi side, marking a significant step in the systematic restructuring of bilateral ties between both nations. The signing ceremony, hosted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Baghdad, brought together Iraq’s Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations, Muhammad Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom, and the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Steven Fagin. The foreign ministry stated that the handover forms an integral milestone in federal efforts to fulfill the technical and sovereign prerequisites for concluding the mission of the U.S.-led International Coalition and drawing down foreign military presence across Iraq, aligned with the established September 30, 2026, deadline. By transferring authority over the high-profile logistical installation at the capital’s international gateway, the sovereign transition moves forward on schedule toward the formal cessation of coalition combat missions. Undersecretary Bahr Al-Uloom emphasized the strategic weight of the agreement, framing the handover as an operational pivot toward an expanded bilateral era centered on mutual economic partnerships, energy infrastructure modernization, and broad-based development projects. In response, Fagin reaffirmed Washington’s support for advancing bilateral collaboration within agreed strategic frameworks that uphold mutual sovereignty, with both diplomatic delegations concluding the ceremony by noting that the handover establishes practical foundations for deeper institutional cooperation and coordinated regional security frameworks.