US Completes Iraq Withdrawal After Two Decades, Ending Combat Mission
SCMP · 4 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
US-led coalition forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday (September 30), formally concluding a military mission that began in 2014 to combat Islamic State and lasted over two decades since the original 2003 invasion. The Pentagon announced the "orderly departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base," marking what it called the "successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq" .
The withdrawal agreement was reached in 2024 under President Joe Biden and implemented by President Donald Trump's administration amid ongoing tensions with Iran . Nearly 4,500 American service members died during more than two decades of conflict in Iraq .
Key Points
- The Pentagon stated the US would continue providing "targeted training and intelligence support" to Iraqi partners despite the combat mission's conclusion .
- Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a commander in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, described the withdrawal as "a historic victory for the Iraqi Islamic resistance groups and a crushing defeat for the American project" .
- Iraqi security analyst Jasim al-Bahadli said Iran stands to benefit strategically because the departure "removes a military presence that for years acted as a counterweight to Tehran's influence" .
- Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office earlier in 2026 with US backing, has pledged that pro-Iran groups would hand over weapons to the state, though analysts consider this unlikely .
- Coalition troops gradually withdrew from bases across Iraq, retaining only a presence in the autonomous Kurdistan region before the final exit from Erbil Air Base .
Why It Matters
The withdrawal eliminates a key US counterweight to Iranian influence in Iraq, potentially enabling Tehran-backed militias to expand their control over security and political decisions . Iraq now faces the difficult task of preventing ISIS remnants from regrouping while managing pressure from armed factions backed by a regional adversary, all amid an ongoing Middle East war .
The withdrawal eliminates a key US counterweight to Iranian influence in Iraq, potentially enabling Tehran-backed militias to expand their control over security and political decisions . Iraq now faces the difficult task of preventing ISIS remnants from regrouping while managing pressure from armed factions backed by a regional adversary, all amid an ongoing Middle East war .