Pentagon says US troop withdrawal from Iraq is complete, 23 years after invasion

The Pentagon said on September 30 that the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq was complete, ending an American military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. The final coalition forces left Erbil Airbase in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, according to Al Jazeera.

The final departure

Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell announced the completion, Al Jazeera reported. About 1,500 US and coalition troops had been stationed at the Erbil base before the departure, which Al Jazeera described as an "orderly departure" that moved operations to Jordan. Hundreds of US troops remain in Syria.

Parnell described the withdrawal as marking "the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organised military threat". President Donald Trump said: "This Day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq," and described the long military involvement as "a very expensive excursion into Hell," according to Al Jazeera.

According to France 24, the pullout fulfils an agreement reached under President Joe Biden and carried out by the Trump administration. Al Jazeera reported that the final withdrawal plan was agreed in 2024 between Biden and then Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani. The withdrawal ends Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIL coalition campaign, Al Jazeera said. Iraq marked the exit with four "Sovereignty Days".

Two decades of US presence

The US-led invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein, France 24 noted. US deployment peaked at about 170,000 personnel in 2007, troops first withdrew in 2011 and returned in 2014 as ISIL rose, according to Al Jazeera. About 4,500 US service members died during more than 20 years of involvement, France 24 reported.

Security concerns

Some analysts warned of risks after the departure. "The lesson from the past two decades is that security vacuums can be extremely dangerous," Iraqi security analyst Jassim al-Bahadli told France 24. Political analyst Ahmed Younis said "Iran's proxies will feel increasingly empowered in the absence of a Western military presence."

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi aims to disarm militias, particularly pro-Iran groups, by June 2027, Al Jazeera reported. At the UN, he said his government was "striving to ensure that the state is the ultimate decision-maker in matters of peace and war."

Former US ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman told Al Jazeera that Iraq's security forces lack "a substantial air defence capability" against drones and missiles. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said "we are vulnerable, we are being attacked," according to Al Jazeera.

Why it matters

The end of the US troop presence closes a chapter that began with the 2003 invasion and shifts responsibility for countering the Islamic State group fully to Iraqi forces. How Baghdad manages Iran-aligned militias and air defence without US support will shape Iraq's stability in a region already strained by the conflict involving Iran.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.