Historic End to Two Decades of War! US Military to Fully Withdraw Troops from Iraq by September 30

Washington and Baghdad have formally finalized an agreement to conclude the United States-led international military coalition in Iraq by September 30. After more than two decades of direct American military involvement-starting with the 2003 invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein and followed by the 2014 campaign to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS)-the US armed forces are officially handing over full security control to local authorities and closing down active coalition bases across the country.

The exit strategy is structured into a carefully managed two-phase transition. In the initial phase, American and allied coalition forces will vacate major military hubs in central and western Iraq, including the strategic Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province and facilities near Baghdad International Airport. The second phase will gradually taper down operations at the Erbil airbase in Iraqi Kurdistan, which will temporarily serve as a logistical support hub until late 2026 to sustain counter-ISIS operations in neighboring Syria.

The push for a complete exit gained rapid momentum following intense political pressure from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and parliamentarians, particularly after heightened regional tensions and retaliatory military strikes against Iran-aligned armed groups inside Iraq. Iraqi defense officials maintained that their national army, elite counter-terrorism forces, and intelligence agencies have reached full operational maturity, rendering foreign troop deployments unnecessary to defend the nation against internal or external threats.

Ending the coalition mission under Operation Inherent Resolve does not mean a complete shutdown of ties between Washington and Baghdad. Instead, the relationship will transition from an international warfighting coalition to a standard bilateral security partnership. Moving forward, the US and Iraq will continue diplomatic cooperation, joint intelligence sharing, military equipment supply chains, and specialized defense training, allowing Iraq to exercise complete territorial sovereignty while maintaining strategic ties with Washington.