The United States has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, marking the end of a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last US troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington. President Donald Trump hailed the withdrawal as the conclusion of "a very expensive excursion into Hell." In a social media post, Trump described the withdrawal as "orderly" and a victory for the US, Iraq, and a sign of victory over the Islamic State group.
The withdrawal, agreed on two years ago, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq. Iran-backed militias have fired on US troops, and the US has struck the groups' strongholds. Trump's comments came as his own decision earlier this year to launch the war with Iran has been compared to the Iraq war for its undefined mission as it nears its seventh month.
Baghdad touted the end of the US mission as a sign of the country's increasing strength and sovereignty. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and described the US withdrawal as the beginning of a "new phase, one defined by Iraq's sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends." Al-Zaidi said Iraqi security forces will continue the fight against IS and the government will ensure that non-state groups no longer hold weapons.
The US military will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that US troops and equipment had completed an "orderly departure" from the air base in Irbil, in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. "This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region," he said.
However, concerns have been raised among some Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, where many fear a resurgence of the Islamic State group as well as more attacks by Iran-linked groups. The Kurdish regional government's Peshmerga Ministry said the Kurdish region had faced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the recent US-Iran conflict. "The departure of the United States from the Kurdistan Region under these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern," the statement said.
The future of Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought to disarm, remains unclear. Al-Zaidi has since walked back the deadline for militia disarmament, telling The New York Times earlier this month that the deadline has been pushed to June 2027. Iran-allied groups in Iraq have celebrated the US withdrawal, with Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official, saying "the expulsion of the occupation forces, defeated, from the land of Iraq is the beginning of full sovereignty."
Trump also lavished praise on al-Zaidi, calling him "outstanding," a "fantastic guy, friend of mine," and someone who "will hopefully be able to handle things very well." The US withdrawal from Iraq marks a significant shift in the country's history, with the US military presence having been scaled down significantly over the years. The effects of the withdrawal may not be immediately visible, but officials in Iraq's Kurdish region have expressed anxiety about the departure and particularly about the removal of US air defense systems.
Key points
- The US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, marking the end of a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group.
- The withdrawal has raised concerns among some Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, about a potential resurgence of the Islamic State group and increased attacks by Iran-linked groups.
- The future of Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought to disarm, remains unclear, with some groups celebrating the US withdrawal and others setting conditions for disarming.
