The commander of the Air Force, Air Commodore Khalid Al-Tamimi, affirmed today, Monday (September 28, 2026), that all air duties and missions within Iraqi territory are carried out independently without any intervention from the international coalition.
Al-Tamimi said in a press interview followed by the News Video Agency, that there is no international coalition force conducting duties inside Iraq since the beginning of 2026, pointing out that “Iraqi F-16 aircraft have carried out combat missions for more than 10 consecutive days without foreign intervention, and with 100% Iraqi maintenance crews.
He explained that Iraqi drones have replaced coalition aircraft in reconnaissance operations, as a complete and ongoing aerial survey of all Iraqi territories is conducted daily, noting that the Air Force has executed 58,822 missions during the battles against ISIS terrorist gangs, which has made the threat of terrorism very limited at the present time.
The Air Force commander added that Iraq is in negotiations with several countries to acquire advanced aircraft, primarily the French Rafale, to enhance combat capabilities,” confirming that there are “serious attempts for local manufacturing of drones with a focus on establishing a special command for this weapon, as well as Iraq possessing a comprehensive system for airspace protection and dealing with any hostile targets.