US completes Iraq withdrawal: Baghdad celebrates, Kurds voice security fears
The United States military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission against the Islamic State group. The final troops departed from an air base in Irbil, in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that US forces and equipment had carried out an orderly departure from the base. He described the move as the culmination of a campaign that defeated ISIS as an organised military threat in Iraq and across the region, and a transition to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral relationship.
What does the withdrawal mean for Iraq's sovereignty?
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and framed the withdrawal as the beginning of a new phase defined by Iraq's sovereignty, institutional strength, and balanced partnerships with its friends. Baghdad has touted the departure as evidence of the country's growing capacity to manage its own security.
However, the withdrawal takes place while the war between the United States and Iran continues, a conflict that has periodically spilled onto Iraqi territory. The Iraqi government had initially linked the September 30 deadline for the US exit to the disarmament of non-state armed groups by that date. While some smaller militias have agreed to hand over weapons, powerful Iran-aligned factions have refused or set conditions the government is unlikely to meet. The Prime Minister has since pushed the disarmament deadline to June 2027.
Why are Kurdish officials concerned about the US departure?
Officials in Iraq's Kurdish region have expressed serious anxiety about the withdrawal, particularly the removal of US air defence systems. The Kurdish regional government's Peshmerga Ministry reported that the region has faced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the recent US-Iran conflict.
In a statement, the ministry said the departure of US forces under such complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defence system, is a matter of concern. The Kurdish region has been a key partner in the anti-ISIS coalition and now faces an uncertain security environment as Iran-aligned militias remain active.
How have Iran-aligned groups reacted to the US exit?
Iran-backed factions in Iraq have celebrated the US departure. Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia, called the expulsion of occupation forces the beginning of full sovereignty. He also issued a warning to Prime Minister al-Zaidi, threatening that any government that does not work for the benefit of the people will be overthrown by all means.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias have also coordinated with Yemen's Houthi rebels in attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding to regional instability.
What is the history of the US military presence in Iraq?
US troops invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein and departed in 2011. Three years later, Iraqi authorities invited a smaller US-led mission to combat the Islamic State, which had seized large parts of the country. With the group reduced to scattered sleeper cells, Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down the mission. US forces withdrew from most bases last year but maintained a presence of several hundred troops in the Kurdish north, where bases have regularly come under attack since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28.
What happens next for Iraq and the region?
The completion of the US withdrawal marks a significant shift in Iraq's security landscape. Baghdad now faces the challenge of balancing its sovereignty with the continued presence of powerful militias, while the Kurdish region must secure its borders without US air defence support. The broader US-Iran conflict continues to shape regional dynamics, and Iraq's role as a theatre for that rivalry remains unresolved.