U.S. forces are expected to complete their withdrawal from Iraq by September 30, according to officials, concluding a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion of the country. The drawdown signifies the end of the U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State group, a mission that brought American troops back to Iraq in 2014.
Washington and Baghdad agreed earlier this year to wind down the smaller U.S.-led operations against ISIS. While U.S. troops departed most Iraqi bases last year, a contingent remained in the northern Kurdish region. These bases have experienced intermittent attacks since the U.S. and Israel initiated actions against Iran on February 28.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, on Wednesday. Following the meeting, al-Zaidi stated that he had affirmed September 30 as the "fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces." A U.S. official confirmed the expectation of completing the pullout by the deadline but did not provide details on the number of remaining troops or their potential redeployment locations.
"The United States, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating ISIS and now the Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan Region security forces, will lead the fight against terrorists in Iraq," the U.S. official said.
Two Iraqi Kurdish officials indicated that the withdrawal of U.S. troops and military equipment from Erbil commenced approximately three weeks prior. These officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly.
The U.S. military presence in Iraq reached its peak with over 170,000 troops during counterinsurgency operations in 2007. All combat troops were withdrawn by December 2011. However, the resurgence of the Islamic State group in 2014, which led to the capture of significant territory across Iraq and Syria, prompted the return of U.S. forces at the invitation of the Iraqi government.
Following the loss of territory controlled by ISIS, coalition military operations officially concluded in 2021. Approximately 2,500 U.S. troops remained in Iraq to provide training and conduct counter-ISIS operations in partnership with the Iraqi military.
Prime Minister al-Zaidi has also set a September 30 deadline for non-state armed groups within Iraq to disarm, stating that the withdrawal of foreign troops will eliminate any justification for possessing weapons. However, some Iraqi militias, particularly those with strong ties to Iran, have indicated no intention of relinquishing their arms, suggesting the Iraqi government may not meet its disarmament deadline.