U.S. Ends Military Mission in Iraq After More Than 20 Years

The United States and its allies have withdrawn their troops from Iraq as part of the conclusion of the international military mission against the terrorist organization ISIS.

964media reported on this.

Iraqi authorities said the international coalition has already handed over to Iraq all military bases and headquarters used by its mission.

After September 30, no combat or training units from the coalition are expected to remain in Iraq.

The troop withdrawal is taking place under an agreement reached between the United States and Iraq in 2024. The agreement called for the gradual end of the coalition’s military mission in the country.

Some U.S. troops have already left Iraq, although certain units continued to operate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The U.S. military presence in Iraq began after the invasion on March 20, 2003. At the time, U.S.-led coalition forces launched an operation against Saddam Hussein’s regime and captured Baghdad on April 9.

The main U.S. combat forces left Iraq in 2011. However, in 2014, the United States sent troops back to the country following the rapid advance of ISIS.

The Iraqi government asked the United States and other countries for assistance in fighting the group.

In September 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed to gradually end the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq and transition to bilateral security cooperation.

Since then, the coalition has gradually withdrawn from its facilities in Iraq. In January 2026, U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from Ain al-Asad Air Base, after which control of the base was transferred to the Iraqi military.

Militarnyi previously reported that in March 2026, Poland started evacuating its military contingent from Iraq due to the war in the Middle East.