U.S. Completes Military Withdrawal From Iraq, Ending 12-Year Counter-ISIS Campaign

BAGHDAD — The United States military announced Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, concluding a 12-year mission to defeat the Islamic State group and ending over two decades of direct U.S. military presence in the country.

The final contingent of American personnel departed an air base in Erbil, located in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, fulfilling a bilateral timeline set under a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the completion of an “orderly departure,” marking the transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security framework.

“This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region,” Parnell said in a statement. He added that the U.S. will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support under a standard bilateral relationship.

Speaking at a White House event on Wednesday, President Donald Trump celebrated the exit, characterizing the original engagement as a “quagmire” driven by “very bad decision making”. Trump hailed the exit by the Sept. 30 deadline as an orderly victory for both nations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony, framing the withdrawal as the dawn of a “new phase” grounded in national sovereignty, institutional strength, and balanced international partnerships. Al-Zaidi reiterated that Iraqi security forces remain capable of preventing any resurgence of extremist sleeper cells.

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The conclusion of the U.S. military mission comes amid complex regional tensions. U.S. bases in northern Iraq had faced persistent drone and missile strikes from Iran-backed militias operating in the region.

While Baghdad had aimed to disarm non-state armed groups as part of the transition, major powerful militias have resisted disarming, prompting the government to extend its enforcement timeline.

Officials in Iraq’s Kurdistan region expressed anxiety over the departure, particularly regarding the removal of U.S. air defense infrastructure. Conversely, Iran-aligned political and military factions celebrated the withdrawal as a triumph for full Iraqi independence.

U.S. forces first invaded Iraq in 2003 to depose Saddam Hussein before withdrawing in 2011. American troops returned in 2014 at Baghdad’s invitation to lead the international coalition against the Islamic State group. With the coalition mission officially concluded, security responsibilities shift entirely to Iraqi state forces.

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