US Military Completes Iraq Withdrawal After 12-Year Mission

The U.S. military announced Wednesday the completion of its troop withdrawal from Iraq, concluding a 12-year mission that focused on combating the Islamic State group. The last American soldiers departed from a base in Irbil, northern Iraq, fulfilling an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.

This withdrawal occurs amidst an ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which has intermittently affected Iraq. Baghdad has framed the troop departure as a demonstration of its growing strength and sovereignty. Iran-backed groups in Iraq celebrated the move, while some Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, expressed concerns.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that U.S. troops and equipment completed an “orderly departure” from the Irbil air base. He characterized the milestone as a reflection of the success in defeating ISIS as a significant military threat and a shift from a coalition combat mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a standard bilateral security relationship.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony, describing the withdrawal as the commencement of a new era defined by Iraqi sovereignty and institutional strength. U.S. troops initially invaded Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein and departed in 2011. However, a smaller U.S.-led mission was invited back in 2014 to counter the Islamic State group's rapid territorial gains.

With ISIS significantly degraded, U.S. and Iraqi officials agreed in 2024 to phase out the mission. While U.S. forces withdrew from most Iraqi bases last year, a small contingent remained in the Kurdish region. These remaining bases had experienced regular attacks since the U.S. and Israel initiated hostilities against Iran on February 28. Iran-allied groups in Iraq have also coordinated attacks with Houthi rebels in Yemen against Saudi Arabia.

The Iraqi government had initially tied the September 30 withdrawal deadline to the disarmament of non-state armed groups by the same date. However, Prime Minister al-Zaidi later announced that the deadline for militia disarmament has been extended to June 2027, after some less influential militias agreed to surrender weapons while more powerful Iran-aligned groups imposed conditions.

Officials in Iraq's Kurdish region have voiced apprehension regarding the withdrawal, especially the removal of U.S. air defense systems. The Kurdish regional government's Peshmerga Ministry noted that the region faced over 1,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks during the recent U.S.-Iran conflict, deeming the departure without a defense system a cause for concern. In contrast, Iran-allied groups hailed the withdrawal as a victory. Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with Kataib Hezbollah, stated that the departure of “occupation forces” marked the beginning of full sovereignty and warned the Iraqi government against aligning with American interests.