Army Day (Iraq)

Army Day is a public holiday in Iraq, and it is observed on January 6 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of when the first Iraqi military forces were established by the British in 1921.

Iraq was under Ottoman rule from 1533 to 1918 when World War I was over. During World War I, the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany and the Central Powers and was defeated by the Allies in 1918. The Ottoman Empire was then divided after World War I, and the United Kingdom took control of the country.

With the threat of war from the newly formed Republic of Turkey, the British formed the Iraqi Army on January 6, 1921. The British used the Army to guard their Royal Air Force bases from which the British controlled Iraq. The Iraqi Army was changed to the Royal Iraqi Army in 1922.

The following is the list of Army Day in Iraq from 2022 to 2026.

Please also check other public holidays in Iraq: