President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States no longer requires a military presence in Iraq, stating that Iran has been sufficiently weakened to allow Baghdad to assume its own security. The U.S.-led coalition mission in Iraq is slated to conclude on September 30.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi affirmed this outlook, asserting that armed factions operating outside state control would lack justification once the coalition mission ends. He expressed confidence in Iraq's security forces to protect the country independently and emphasized that consolidating weapons within state control is a necessity, not merely an option.
Trump indicated that the partnership between the U.S. and Iraq would transition from military cooperation to a focus on investment and energy development. "The 30th of September, the U.S. forces would be out of Iraq. While U.S. companies will be inside Iraq," al-Zaidi stated.
"We don't think we need the military there anymore," Trump said. "We're there to help them. We're there to protect them if need be. But we don't think that's going to be necessary."
He explained that Iraq's security landscape has transformed, particularly due to what he described as Iran being "very much destabilized" and its military reduced to a fraction of its former strength. This assessment marks a significant shift from a country once defined by pervasive violence and conflict.
Under a 2024 agreement, the U.S. and Iraq had already committed to ending the American-led coalition's military mission in September 2025. While U.S. forces have withdrawn from several bases, American troops have remained in advisory roles and to support counter-ISIS operations connected to neighboring Syria. Prior to the drawdown, approximately 2,500 U.S. troops were stationed in Iraq, a sharp decrease from a peak of around 170,000 in 2007 during the height of the Iraq War. U.S. forces largely departed in 2011 before returning in 2014 to combat ISIS.
Al-Zaidi, who assumed office this year, was reportedly a consensus candidate following a period of political deadlock. The Trump administration had publicly supported his candidacy, opposing the potential return of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whom the administration viewed as too closely aligned with Iran. During their meeting, Trump praised al-Zaidi as a "great leader" and suggested his endorsement played a role in his electoral success. He predicted al-Zaidi's influence would extend throughout the Middle East.