US Completes Military Withdrawal from Iraq Ending 23-Year Presence

The United States formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve on September 30, 2026, with the final departure of troops and equipment from Erbil Air Base. This exit ends a military presence in Iraq that began with the 2003 invasion and included a 12-year mission to defeat the Islamic State. President Donald Trump characterized the withdrawal as an orderly conclusion to a "quagmire" and a "very expensive excursion into hell," contrasting it with the 2021 exit from Afghanistan.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi designated October 1 as "Sovereignty Day," hailing the move as a transition to a phase of full national sovereignty. However, the withdrawal occurs amid significant security challenges. The removal of U.S. Patriot missile batteries has left the Kurdistan Region vulnerable to Iranian drone and missile attacks, prompting the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs to express deep concern over the lack of an alternative air defense system.

Simultaneously, Baghdad is struggling to disarm pro-Iranian militias. While Prime Minister al-Zaidi initially promised disarmament by September 30, he extended the deadline to June 30, 2027, after hardline groups like Kata'ib Hezbollah refused to surrender weapons. Iran and its allied "axis of resistance" celebrated the U.S. departure as a strategic victory. Despite the military exit, the U.S. maintains economic leverage through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which controls Iraq's oil revenues, and will continue providing targeted intelligence and training support.