The United States is set to complete the withdrawal of its remaining forces from Iraq by September 30, ending more than two decades of US military presence in the country.
The departure follows a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the US-led coalition’s military mission against the Islamic State in Iraq.
The final phase of the withdrawal has focused on the remaining US presence in northern Iraq. Most US forces had already left bases in central and southern parts of the country.
From the 2003 Invasion to the Return of US Forces
The US military presence in Iraq began with the 2003 invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power.
American combat forces eventually left Iraq in December 2011. However, the rise of Islamic State in 2014 led to a new US military presence after the Iraqi government requested international assistance.
The US-led coalition launched operations against the group, which had seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Iraq declared victory over Islamic State’s territorial control in 2017, although the group has continued to operate through smaller cells.
US and coalition military operations in Iraq ended in 2021. The United States then maintained about 2,500 troops in the country, mainly for training Iraqi forces and supporting counterterrorism operations.
A New Security Relationship
The 2024 agreement established a two-stage transition. The first phase ended the coalition’s military mission in federal Iraq, while the second allowed support for counter-Islamic State operations in Syria from northern Iraq until September 2026.
Iraq says the coalition headquarters will close on September 30 and that no foreign military bases will remain on its territory. Baghdad has also indicated that future cooperation with coalition countries will continue through intelligence sharing, information exchange and military programs.
The withdrawal has also prompted debate over Iraq’s security environment. Some Iraqi officials and analysts have raised concerns about the continued threat from Islamic State cells and the influence of armed groups linked to Iran. Others view the end of the foreign military presence as an important step in strengthening Iraq’s control over its own security.
The September 30 deadline therefore marks the end of the current US military mission in Iraq, while security cooperation between the two countries is expected to continue under a different framework.
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