BAGHDAD, Iraq – US forces have ended their military mission in Iraq after more than two decades, with the final troops withdrawing from the country.
The withdrawal formally concludes the US-led coalition’s Operation Inherent Resolve, although the Pentagon said Washington will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi security forces.
The pullout was agreed in 2024 under then-President Joe Biden and carried out by the administration of President Donald Trump. It comes 23 years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and triggered years of conflict and instability.
The withdrawal has raised concerns among some Iraqi officials and analysts that Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias could gain greater influence and that Islamic State could attempt to rebuild its sleeper-cell network.
Iran and allied groups have portrayed the departure of US forces as a victory, while some Iraqi security officials have questioned whether the country’s forces have sufficient capabilities to independently counter militant threats.
US forces previously left Iraq in 2011 but returned less than three years later after Islamic State fighters captured large areas of the country, including Mosul, in 2014.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi said the end of the international coalition mission marks a transition to a phase in which Iraq assumes full responsibility for its security and stability.
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