NATO’s mission to Iraq, which was entirely evacuated to a base in Italy due to the Middle East war, could return to Baghdad in the coming months, its former commander told AFP.

“The general staff is working on various options” to allow the mission to return to Iraq, said French General Christophe Hintzy, who this week handed over command of the mission to Spanish General Ramon Armada.

“Where, when, how? We have no idea. But the determination is in our bones,” he added after the handover ceremony on Tuesday in the presence of his successor, specifying that “several scenarios” were under consideration for this return, which should take place “step by step”.

“But we won’t be going back in the same configuration. It will be a much smaller setup,” he added, saying he could not give any figures.

The NATO mission in Iraq, launched in 2018 at the request of the Iraqi government, is a non-combat mission focused on advising and strengthening Iraq’s military and security capabilities.