The United States has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission that began with the campaign against Islamic State and closing the latest chapter of a U.S. military presence that dates back more than two decades.
The final troops departed under an agreement reached between Baghdad and Washington. U.S. officials said the mission had succeeded in dismantling Islamic State as a centralized military force and that Iraqi security forces would now assume full responsibility for the country’s internal security.
Withdrawal ends Operation Inherent Resolve presence in Iraq
Associated Press reported that the last U.S. troops left a base in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The withdrawal concludes the U.S. military’s in-country role under Operation Inherent Resolve, although limited training, intelligence and regional support arrangements may continue outside Iraq.
Reuters reported mixed reactions inside the country. Iraqi leaders and some political groups described the withdrawal as a sovereignty milestone, while officials and residents in the Kurdish region expressed concern about reduced air-defense and intelligence support.
Security questions remain
The departure comes with Islamic State reduced from the force that once held large areas of Iraq and Syria, but with sleeper cells still active. Another unresolved issue is the role of powerful Iran-aligned militias that operate alongside or outside formal state structures.
The withdrawal was negotiated under the Biden administration and completed under President Donald Trump. It also comes during a period of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions across the region.
For Iraq, the next phase will test whether national security institutions can manage militant threats and internal political competition without a permanent U.S. military presence on Iraqi soil.
Sources: Associated Press; Reuters; U.S. Defense Department statements.
