The U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission aimed at defeating the Islamic State group and shifting primary responsibility for the country's security to Iraqi forces.
On Sept. 30, U.S. Central Command said the final American troops and equipment completed an “orderly departure” from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq. The move formally ended Operation Inherent Resolve's military mission in Iraq under a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad.
Members of the Iraqi security forces drive in a convoy Sept. 30 through Najaf, Iraq.
The U.S. military asserted that the campaign defeated the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, as an organized military threat in Iraq. American forces will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners as the two countries move toward a bilateral defense relationship, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The withdrawal came as Iraqi officials and security experts weigh how the country will handle remaining Islamic State cells and powerful Iran-aligned militias.
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Iran-backed groups celebrated the U.S. departure, while officials in Iraq's Kurdish region expressed concern about losing U.S. military capabilities, including air-defense systems, according to the Associated Press. Reuters reported concerns among Iraqi security officials that the withdrawal could create openings for ISIS and increase the influence of Iran-backed militias.
Supporters of a Shi'ite armed group on Sept. 30 celebrate the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq in Baghdad.
Why did US forces leave?
The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and withdrew its forces in 2011. American troops returned in 2014 after ISIS captured large areas of Iraq and Syria, leading to the creation of a U.S.-led coalition to help Iraqi forces fight the group.
Iraq declared victory over ISIS' territorial control in 2017, though the group continues to operate through scattered sleeper cells. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down the coalition's military mission in Iraq.
Most U.S. troops already left Iraqi bases last year. The remaining forces were concentrated in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, where Erbil Air Base became the final departure point.
The coalition's broader counter-ISIS mission continues outside Iraq. Its headquarters moved to Jordan, while U.S. forces continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government, CENTCOM said.
People walk Sept. 24 along a street leading from the cemetery to Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq.
What about security?
The Iraqi government now has primary responsibility for addressing the country's remaining security threats, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias, according to the Department of Defense.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi described the U.S. withdrawal as the beginning of a new phase focused on Iraq's sovereignty and the strength of its security institutions, AP reported. He said Iraqi forces will continue fighting ISIS and his government would work to ensure non-state groups no longer maintain weapons.
The effort to disarm militias remains unresolved. Some smaller groups agreed to surrender their weapons, but powerful Iran-backed factions rejected the prospect or attached conditions to disarmament, AP reported.
Al-Zaidi pushed the government's deadline for militia disarmament to June 2027, according to AP.
Iran and allied Iraqi groups portrayed the U.S. withdrawal as a victory. Reuters reported that some Iraqi security experts also fear the departure could give Iran-backed groups greater influence over Iraq's security and political decisions.
Members of the Iraqi Army's 9th Armoured Division take photos with an Islamic State flag, claimed after fighting with ISIS militants, on June 17, 2017, in western Mosul, Iraq.
Could ISIS return?
ISIS remains a concern even after the U.S. military's departure.
Reuters reported that Iraqi and Kurdish security officials worry about losing U.S. intelligence, logistical assistance and drones that helped Iraqi forces monitor ISIS remnants. Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani told Reuters that he saw increased movement by suspected ISIS sleeper cells after the withdrawal was announced.
Kurdish officials also raised concerns about the removal of U.S. air-defense systems. The Kurdish regional government said the region experienced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, AP reported.
The U.S. military maintains that Iraqi security forces are prepared to take the lead. The Department of Defense said the United States remains committed to counterterrorism and will continue working with Iraq and its partners to prevent ISIS from rebuilding in Iraqi territory.
