US forces withdrew from their remaining bases in Iraq on Wednesday, completing a US troops withdrawal from Iraq that ends more than two decades of American military presence in the country. The departure, carried out ahead of the previously scheduled September 30 deadline, closes a chapter that began with the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The final withdrawal was confirmed by Iraqi officials after Al Jazeera reported that US Army soldiers had fully pulled out of the American base in Baghdad. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fawad Hussein said on Monday that American forces had completely withdrawn from Iraqi territory under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington, two days before the deadline.
How the Iraq withdrawal unfolded
The end of the US troops withdrawal from Iraq was years in the making. The United States and Iraq agreed in 2024, during President Joe Biden’s term, to wind down the US-led international coalition’s military mission against the Islamic State group. The Trump administration is now carrying out that agreement.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had affirmed September 30 as the “fixed and final” date for ending the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces. The Iraqi government is marking the occasion with four official public holidays it has branded “Sovereignty Days,” celebrating what authorities described as Independence Day and the full restoration of national sovereignty.
The American presence had already shrunk dramatically. At its peak, the US mission in Iraq involved more than 170,000 troops. By July of this year, fewer than 200 US soldiers remained in the country, according to Stars and Stripes, serving largely in advisory roles in the coalition operation against ISIS first launched in 2015.
The long road: 2003 to 2026
US forces invaded Iraq in 2003, toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and occupied the country, installing a Shiite-led government. What followed was a years-long counterinsurgency — first against Saddam loyalists, then al-Qaeda — followed by the rise of the Islamic State group.
American forces formally withdrew at the end of 2011, only to return less than three years later to help Iraqi forces defeat Islamic State in a major war from 2014 to 2017. The cost has been enormous: more than 4,500 US service members were killed during two decades of war, according to Reuters. Around twice as many Americans died in “Operation Iraqi Freedom” as in the parallel war in Afghanistan.
Even this year, the conflict with Iran has taken a toll: 7 of the 18 US service members listed as killed this year were in Iraq, the last an army sergeant who died during the controlled detonation of a drone at a base near Erbil in July, according to Reuters.
What it means for Iran and the region
Iran and its allies have celebrated the US troops withdrawal from Iraq as a victory, and Tehran now holds deep influence in Baghdad. Iraqi security experts told Reuters that the departure could give Iran and its powerful allies freer rein, and remove US bases that Iran-backed groups have repeatedly targeted — eliminating one source of pressure on Iran’s neighborhood.
At the same time, the withdrawal raises fears of a security vacuum. Some Iraqi officials and analysts worry that Iraqi security forces, trained and funded by the United States, may not be ready to protect the country on their own. A resurgent Islamic State group could exploit any gap. “The lesson from the past two decades is that security vacuums can be extremely dangerous,” Iraqi analyst Jassim al-Bahadli, who advises the security forces, told Reuters.
The withdrawal is being carried out even as the Trump administration continues its military campaign against Iran, making the timing strategically significant. While the departure is broadly popular among Iraqis, some security experts are uneasy about what comes next in a region that has seen near-constant upheaval — from coordinated jihadist attacks in Niger to the ongoing Gaza conflict — and where armed groups remain active across multiple fronts.
FAQ
When did US troops complete the withdrawal from Iraq?
US forces withdrew from their remaining bases in Iraq by the September 30, 2026 deadline, confirmed ahead of schedule by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fawad Hussein, according to Al Jazeera.
How long were US troops in Iraq?
More than two decades — from the 2003 invasion to 2026, with a formal withdrawal in 2011 and a return in 2014 to fight the Islamic State.
How many US troops died in Iraq?
More than 4,500 US service members were killed during two decades of war in Iraq, according to Reuters.
Why did the US withdraw from Iraq?
The US and Iraq agreed in 2024 to wind down the anti-ISIS coalition’s military mission. The Iraqi government had set September 30 as the fixed date, and the current administration carried out the drawdown even as it wages a separate military campaign against Iran, per Reuters.
