BAGHDAD — The United States on Wednesday completed the withdrawal of its remaining military forces from Iraq, formally ending Operation Inherent Resolve more than two decades after the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, according to Reuters, NPR, and Pentagon statements carried in Wednesday’s news cycle.
Final troops departed mainly from an air base in Erbil in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region under an arrangement first agreed in 2024 during the Biden administration and carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration — even as Washington continues war with Iran next door. Iraqi troops paraded through Baghdad and the Shiite holy city of Najaf to mark what Iraqi leaders called a day of sovereignty.
The Pentagon said the United States and coalition partners would continue targeted training and intelligence support for Iraqi partners. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi said the end of the coalition mission does not end the fight against terrorism but shifts full responsibility for security and stability onto Iraqi institutions.
Celebrations mixed with anxiety. Baghdad resident Ahmed Salah told Reuters the withdrawal “fills our hearts with joy,” while also urging powerful militia groups to surrender weapons so the government alone can protect citizens. Analyst Jassim al-Bahadli cautioned that “security vacuums can be extremely dangerous,” and teacher Adil Salman said Iraqis “should not rush to celebrate” while militias operate outside state control and Islamic State remnants remain.
US forces first left Iraq at the end of 2011, then returned in 2014 after Islamic State seized large swaths of the country. More than 4,500 US troops died in Iraq; the Iraq Body Count project has estimated more than 200,000 Iraqi civilian deaths. Of 18 US service members listed as killed since Trump launched “Operation Epic Fury” alongside Israel in February, seven died in Iraq, Reuters reported.
Tehran and allied groups cast the pullout as a victory in their campaign to push American forces from the Middle East. Iraqi security officials in both Baghdad and the Kurdish region told Reuters the departure could empower Iran-backed proxies and give Islamic State sleeper cells room to regroup — especially if aerial surveillance and intelligence once provided by US forces are not fully replaced.
Retired Iraqi Army Gen. Mohammed al-Jubouri said a worst-case risk would be Islamic State obtaining armed drones while Iraq still lacks sufficient air defenses. For now, Iraqi leaders insist national forces are ready to lead; Washington frames the exit as a planned transition rather than a sudden abandonment.
Based on Reuters reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Muayad Hameed, NPR’s Jane Arraf, and Pentagon/Iraqi government statements summarized in Sept. 30, 2026 coverage. Casualty and historical figures as reported by those outlets.