US announces military mission conclusion in Iraq

A US Air Force military transport aircraft prepares for takeoff from Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad International Airport on Sept. 29, 2026. Photo: Ammar Karim/AFP via Getty Images Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The US Department of War announced on Wednesday that the US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq. The department said in a statement that the United States and its partners in the international coalition officially concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. The orderly withdrawal of the international coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq, according to the statement. The US War Department mentioned that it will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners. The step marks the end of a 12-year campaign that saw ISIS eliminated as an organized military threat in Iraq and throughout the region. It also represents a shift from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security operation backed by a more regular bilateral security partnership. Iraqi security forces are expected to lead ongoing efforts to secure the country and ensure that ISIS remnants remain suppressed. The terrorist group, which had seized vast swathes of territory, was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019; however, international coalition forces remained to continue fighting the group’s remnants. Following the official US announcement, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared the start of a new phase defined as “Iraq’s sovereignty” following the international coalition’s withdrawal. Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to gradually end the international coalition’s mission, with forces subsequently withdrawing from bases across the country. The Iraqi government sees that the withdrawal eliminates the justification for Iran-backed armed groups to keep their weapons.