International coalition to withdraw defense systems from Iraq

US soldiers in Iraq. Photo: Milwaukee Independent Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The United States will withdraw its defense systems and remaining troops from Iraq by the end of September as part of an agreement with the government in Baghdad. Qasim al-Araji, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s security advisor, told Rudaw News that the departure covers all defense systems, including those in Erbil, and that the gradual withdrawal of personnel and military equipment has begun. The spokesperson for the Iraqi government, Haider al-Aboudi, said during a press briefing last week that Baghdad remains strictly committed to the conclusion of the foreign military mission in the country, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said earlier that October 1, 2026, will mark a new day in Iraq’s statehood when the country achieves complete sovereignty free of foreign troops. The military mission of the international coalition will expire on September 30, 2026, and the decision is final and irreversible, according to al-Zaidi. The prime minister underscored that October 1 will bring in a new period of total Iraqi independence and full territorial sovereignty, with no foreign military presence. Iraq’s future engagements with the international coalition’s member nations will center on direct security, economic, and specialized training cooperation based on mutual respect. The international coalition was first formed in 2014 to combat the emergence of the terrorist group ISIS. After Iraq declared the defeat of ISIS in 2017, international coalition forces continued to offer assistance and training services at Baghdad’s request.