Last US Troops Depart Iraq, Sparking Mixed Reactions

The final contingent of U.S. troops was scheduled to depart Iraq on Wednesday, concluding a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion aimed at toppling Saddam Hussein. This withdrawal, formalized in an agreement between Baghdad and Washington, has been met with celebration by Iran-backed groups but has also ignited concerns, particularly within Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

U.S. forces initially left Iraq in 2011. However, a smaller U.S.-led mission returned three years later at the invitation of Iraqi authorities to combat the Islamic State group, which had seized significant territory. With the extremist group's operational capacity reduced to scattered cells, the U.S. and Iraq agreed in 2024 to gradually end the mission.

While U.S. troops vacated most Iraqi bases last year, a limited contingent remained in the northern Kurdish region. These remaining forces have been a target since Feb. 28, coinciding with the escalation of conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which has also seen Iran-backed Iraqi militias coordinating with Yemen's Houthi rebels to launch attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The Iraqi government had initially linked the Sept. 30 withdrawal deadline to the disarmament of non-state armed groups by the same date. Although some less influential militias have agreed to surrender their weapons, more powerful Iran-aligned factions have resisted or set conditions for disarmament that are unlikely to be met by the government. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has since indicated that the deadline for militia disarmament has been extended to June 2027.

Officials in Iraq's Kurdish region have voiced anxiety about the U.S. departure, especially the removal of American air defense systems. The Kurdish regional government's Peshmerga Ministry reported that the region had endured over 1,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks during the recent U.S.-Iran conflict. "The departure of the United States from the Kurdistan Region under these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern," a statement from the ministry read.

Conversely, Iran-allied groups in Iraq have lauded the U.S. withdrawal. Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia, stated that the "expulsion of the occupation forces, defeated, from the land of Iraq is the beginning of full sovereignty." He also issued a warning to al-Zaidi's government against implementing American agendas, threatening that any administration not serving the people's interests would be overthrown by any means.