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U.S. completes troop withdrawal from Iraq, ending 12-year anti-ISIS mission
U.S. Central Command says American and coalition forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq on Sept. 30, formally ending the 12-year Operation Inherent Resolve mission.
Why it matters
U.S. Central Command announced on September 30, 2026 that American and coalition forces have completed an orderly departure from Iraq, formally ending the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission in the country. Launched in 2014 against the Islamic State, the 12-year campaign is the latest chapter of an American military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
What was announced
The final troops and equipment left Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region on September 30. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called it an "orderly departure" and a transition "from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort." The departure was carried out under a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad that set September 30, 2026 as the final date. President Donald Trump welcomed the withdrawal on social media, calling it "a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS," according to ABC News.
What comes next
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and described the moment as the start of a "new phase" defined by Iraq's sovereignty. The U.S. military said it will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners, and counter-ISIS operations continue with the task force headquarters moved to Jordan and operations in Syria. Some Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, voiced concern about a possible ISIS resurgence and emboldened Iran-linked militias. This is the second time the U.S. has fully withdrawn from Iraq — the first came in 2011, before troops returned in 2014 to fight ISIS.
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