US begins final troop withdrawal from Iraq, ending 23-year military presence

The United States has begun withdrawing its remaining troops from Iraqi Kurdistan as part of a final operation that is expected to end the US military presence in Iraq by September 30, according to Iraqi authorities.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi described September 30 as the “final and irreversible” date for the conclusion of the international coalition’s mission against ISIL and the withdrawal of its forces, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The departure would mark the end of more than 23 years of US military presence in Iraq, which began with the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s government.

The withdrawal process has unfolded over nearly two years following a formal request from Baghdad.

In November 2023, the Iraqi government officially asked Washington to withdraw its forces from the country. Negotiations between the two sides began in January 2024, culminating in an agreement on a phased withdrawal signed in September 2024.

Then-US President Joe Biden subsequently announced that the US military mission in Iraq would be completed by 2026.

The policy was maintained by President Donald Trump’s administration, which had long advocated reducing the US military presence in the Middle East.

The final withdrawal deadlines were confirmed during al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington, where he met with Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command.

By Sabina Mammadli