The NATO mission in Iraq was launched in 2018 at the request of the Iraqi government [Getty] NATO's mission to Iraq, which was entirely evacuated to a base in Italy due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, 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.