The final UK and US troops have departed Iraq, concluding a military presence that began in 2014 as part of the international coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group. Around 100 British military personnel left Irbil in the northern Kurdistan region, coordinated with US forces who also departed. This exit follows an agreement between the US and Iraqi government, signed two years ago, to withdraw foreign troops by the end of this month.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated that the end of the coalition's mission marked Iraq's transition to a phase where it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability. The UK Ministry of Defence said Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga have secured the enduring territorial defeat of IS in Iraq and are now well placed to take primary responsibility for the country's security. The mission, known as Operation Inherent Resolve, has come to an end.
The Iraqi government declared the military defeat of IS in 2017, but coalition forces remained to help prevent the group's resurgence. A recent UN report estimated that sustained counter-terrorism pressure by Iraqi security forces had left IS with several hundred fighters who were able to carry out unsophisticated operations only. The Iraqi government also faces the challenge of Iranian-backed militias in the country.
Prime Minister Zaidi, who took office in May, has vowed to disarm Iranian-backed militias and bring all weapons under state control following the coalition's exit. However, several powerful factions have resisted his plans and could now see their influence grow without the US presence. Since the start of the US and Israel's war with Iran earlier this year, militias have been targeting the remaining US and UK forces stationed at Irbil air base.
Hundreds of Nato troops stationed in Baghdad left the country in March as tensions rose. A BBC team visited the coalition base in Irbil in April this year, during a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. They were forced to circle the base in an RAF transport aircraft while drones were being launched nearby. At the height of the US bombing campaign against Iran, the coalition base was being targeted by up to 28 drones and missiles a day.
The UK Ministry of Defence paid tribute to UK personnel who contributed to the counter-IS mission, providing valuable support, training, and assistance to over 111,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces. The RAF conducted thousands of sorties, striking over 2,300 IS targets. The RAF is expected to continue flying missions over neighbouring Syria to prevent IS remnants from gaining a foothold.
The US will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to its Iraqi partners. US Central Command said the coalition's joint taskforce remained operational and was now based in Jordan. This is the third time US and UK forces have withdrawn from Iraq, following previous deployments in 1991 and 2003. The US and UK forces left Iraq in 2011, only to return three years later when IS threatened to take control of the country.
Key points
- The last British and American troops have left Iraq, marking the end of Operation Inherent Resolve.
- Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated that the end of the coalition's mission marked Iraq's transition to a phase where it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability.
- The US will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to its Iraqi partners.
