US Troops Leave Iraq Completely After More Than Two Decades

US Troops Leave Iraq Completely After More Than Two Decades

The United States has completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, ending a more than two-decade military presence that began with the 2003 invasion of the country.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fawad Hussein confirmed that American forces had fully left Iraqi territory under an agreement reached between Baghdad and Washington.

The withdrawal marks the end of the US-led international coalition’s military mission in Iraq, which was established in 2014 to fight Islamic State militants after the group seized large areas of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

The United States had maintained roughly 2,500 troops in Iraq in recent years, with forces operating from locations including Erbil in the Kurdish region and facilities around Baghdad.

Under an agreement reached by Iraq and the United States in 2024, the coalition’s military mission was scheduled to conclude by the end of September 2026, followed by a transition to bilateral security cooperation.

The withdrawal comes years after the US first pulled its troops out of Iraq in 2011. American forces returned in 2014 after the Iraqi government requested international assistance against Islamic State.

Islamic State was declared militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, although the group has continued to maintain underground cells capable of carrying out attacks.

The departure also comes amid renewed security concerns in Iraq following the conflict involving Iran. US facilities and troops in Iraq have faced attacks, while Kurdish positions have also come under pressure.

Iraq is preparing to mark the end of the US military presence with a four-day public holiday beginning Wednesday. Government institutions are expected to close during the period as the country observes what authorities have described as a sovereignty celebration.

The withdrawal has also raised questions about the future of powerful armed groups operating in Iraq. Some Iran-aligned militias had been expected to surrender their weapons and come under the control of state security institutions alongside the American withdrawal, but the process has been postponed.

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew President Saddam Hussein after Washington and its allies accused his government of possessing weapons of mass destruction. The invasion faced strong international opposition.

American forces remained in Iraq until 2011 before returning three years later as part of the campaign against Islamic State.

With the final withdrawal, Washington and Baghdad are expected to move towards a new phase of bilateral relations centred on security cooperation and other areas rather than a permanent US military presence.