United States Completes Troop Withdrawal From Iraq, Ending Mission Against Islamic State

Withdrawal Completed

The United States completed its withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq on Wednesday, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group, the U.S. military said.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the departure as an “orderly departure” from an air base in Irbil, in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and described the withdrawal as the beginning of a “new phase, one defined by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends.”

The withdrawal came under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington that had set Sept. 30 as the deadline, and it followed a two-year phased withdrawal process.

The U.S. departure also closed the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL as it expired, opening what Al Jazeera described as a new chapter in Iraqi security.

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Reactions and Uncertainty

Iran-backed groups celebrated the withdrawal, while some other Iraqis found it concerning, particularly in the Kurdish region, where many feared a resurgence of IS and more attacks by Iran-linked groups. Questions and concerns persisted about the future of the security situation after the withdrawal, including the possibility that cells of the so-called Islamic State might exploit any security gaps. The steadily expanding influence of Iran-aligned Shiite militias expanded after the October 7 attacks beyond Iraqi borders.

Baghdad marked the occasion with four “Sovereignty Days,” a national holiday from September 30 to October 3 that underscored the symbolism of the U.S. exit. The remaining American units focused on advising, training, and providing intelligence and logistical support to Iraqi forces, while concerns persisted about the loss of intelligence and air capabilities.

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What Comes Next

The Pentagon said the United States would continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners after the “orderly departure,” while Iraqi security forces would continue the fight against IS. Al Jazeera said the withdrawal opened a new phase in Iraqi security and explained that the two-year phased withdrawal process had ended on Wednesday’s deadline. The post-withdrawal landscape was described as a battle over militia weapons, and the concern was linked to the possibility that Iraqi forces could face challenges as attention turned toward armed factions and the U.S.-Iran confrontation.

Iraq’s security balancing act would include the end of the U.S. The U.S. tasks in Iraq had focused on advising, training, and providing intelligence and logistical support, while warnings persisted that the loss of intelligence and air capabilities could hamper Baghdad’s ability to pursue Islamic State cells in remote areas.

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