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ABSTRACT

The US military said it completed the withdrawal of American forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on Sept. 30, ending the Operation Inherent Resolve mission against the Islamic State group, according to US Central Command and Pentagon statements. The departure closes a phased process agreed by Washington and Baghdad in 2024 and a US mission to Iraq that began in 2014, after US troops had already left the country in 2011. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over a handover ceremony in Baghdad, and US Central Command said the anti-ISIS task force would continue operating from a new headquarters in Jordan while counter-ISIS operations continue in Syria.

NPR News

US military completes withdrawal from Iraq, ending Operation Inherent Resolve

Sep 30, 2026, 4:43 AM

The US military said it completed the withdrawal of American forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on Sept. 30, ending the Operation Inherent Resolve mission against the Islamic State group, according to US Central Command and Pentagon statements. The departure closes a phased process agreed by Washington and Baghdad in 2024 and a US mission to Iraq that began in 2014, after US troops had already left the country in 2011. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over a handover ceremony in Baghdad, and US Central Command said the anti-ISIS task force would continue operating from a new headquarters in Jordan while counter-ISIS operations continue in Syria.

Context

US forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein, and left in 2011 under President Barack Obama. Iraqi authorities invited a smaller US-led mission back in 2014 after Islamic State militants seized large areas of the country. The group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, after which Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind the coalition mission down. A joint Iraq-US statement that year set out two stages: an end to combat operations inside Iraq by the end of September 2025 at the latest, followed by a second stage running to September 2026 to support operations against ISIL in Syria, according to Al Jazeera. US troops left bases in most areas of Iraq last year but retained a presence in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.

CENTCOM reported that it had "completed the orderly departure of US forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base," which it described as the last hub of the operation and the base hosting most of the roughly 1,500 American-led coalition forces supporting counter-ISIS operations. The Pentagon said the conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve marked the end of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS in Iraq, and that the US would continue to provide training and intelligence support to Iraq. The Pentagon added that primary responsibility for Iraq's remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias, now rests with the government of Iraq. CJTF-OIR remains operational and is now headquartered in Jordan, according to CENTCOM, with US forces continuing counter-ISIS operations in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government.

In Baghdad, Iraqi leaders and US military commanders marked the end of the mission at a ceremony at what had been the joint military command center across from the American Embassy. NPR reported the ceremony was closed to the press and was to be broadcast later by state TV. Baghdad marked the occasion with a national holiday; Al Jazeera reported four "Sovereignty Days" running from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, while NPR reported a two-day holiday with Wednesday dubbed "sovereignty day."

Iraqi officials and Kurdish leaders gave differing assessments of what the departure means. Prime Minister al-Zaidi described it as the start of a "new phase" defined by Iraqi sovereignty, strong institutions, ready forces and balanced partnerships, and said Iraqi security forces would continue fighting the Islamic State while the government would ensure non-state groups no longer hold weapons. The spokesman for the chief of the Iraqi armed forces, Sabah al-Numan, told NPR that Iraq was moving "from working under the umbrella of the coalition to an equal relationship," that Iraq would not leave the Kurdistan region undefended, and that Baghdad was discussing purchases of air defense systems from South Korea, Turkey and the United States. Iraq's air force commander, Lieutenant General Khalid al-Tamimi, told state news that no coalition force had carried out duties inside Iraq since the start of 2026 and that Iraqi drones had replaced coalition aircraft for reconnaissance.

Officials in Iraq's Kurdish region have raised concerns about the loss of US air defense systems. The Kurdistan Regional Government's Peshmerga Ministry said the region had faced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the recent US-Iran conflict, and that the US departure "under these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern." KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said leaving the Kurdistan region without providing any defense system was a cause for concern; Al Jazeera reported that Barzani's office was targeted in a drone attack last month which officials claim was launched from Iranian territory. Kurdish military commander Sirwan Barzani told Reuters that Iraq could also lose US intelligence, logistical support and drones.

The withdrawal has drawn sharply different reactions inside Iraq. Iran-aligned groups celebrated the departure, with Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the Kataib Hezbollah militia, calling the expulsion of what he described as occupation forces the beginning of full sovereignty and warning the government not to carry out American plans. The Guardian reported that Iran and its allies celebrated the departure as a victory. Baghdad has sought, with limited success, to bring weapons held by non-state groups under government control; a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to hand over weapons, while powerful Iran-backed groups rejected disarmament or set conditions. Al-Zaidi told The New York Times earlier this month that the deadline for militia disarmament had been pushed to June 2027, after the Iraqi government had initially linked a Sept. 30 deadline for US withdrawal to disarmament by that date.

On the security threat, Al Jazeera cited the latest UN secretary-general's report as saying ISIL is at its weakest with just a few hundred fighters, after having once held nearly a third of Iraq. Iraqi security and army officials told Reuters that the group had planned attacks to coincide with the US withdrawal. NPR reported that Iraqi special forces said on Sunday they killed two suicide bombers near Kirkuk before they could detonate their explosive vests. Iraqi security officials and analysts quoted by Reuters and Al Jazeera questioned whether Iraqi forces are prepared for the new phase, with Jassim al-Bahadli, an adviser to the security forces, warning that security vacuums can be extremely dangerous, retired Iraqi general Mohammed al-Juburi asking whether Iraq has prepared a plan, and University of Jordan professor Hassan Barari telling Al Jazeera it is unlikely the Iraqi state can currently protect its airspace from missiles and drones.

President Donald Trump cast the withdrawal as a win. Speaking at a White House event, he called the Iraq war a "quagmire" produced by bad decision-making, said it was a great day for America, described the outcome as a victory for both countries, claimed credit for defeating the Islamic State, and said his administration refused to let a temporary presence become permanent. He contrasted the exit with Afghanistan, saying US forces took everything this time. In a social media post reported by NPR, Trump wrote that the withdrawal marks the end of a very expensive excursion into Hell.

All Perspectives
US administration (President Donald Trump): Trump described the withdrawal as a victory for the United States and Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS, calling the Iraq war a quagmire that grew out of very bad decision-making and saying it was a great day for America. He claimed credit for defeating the Islamic State in his first administration, said his administration refused to let a temporary presence become permanent, and said it was time for America to go home. He contrasted the exit with Afghanistan, saying equipment was left behind there and that this time US forces took everything, and he praised Iraq's new prime minister.
Pentagon and US Central Command: Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said US troops and equipment completed an "orderly departure" from the air base in Irbil, that the milestone reflected the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat, and that it marked a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper credited American service members, diplomats and civilian personnel, said ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq's national security, and said Iraqi security forces including the Peshmerga now possess the capacity, leadership and operational independence to manage threats to their homeland. CENTCOM said US and coalition forces elsewhere in the region remain ready to respond to any ISIS threats.
Iraqi government (Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi): Al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and described the withdrawal as the beginning of a new phase 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. He said Iraqi security forces would continue the fight against the Islamic State and that the government would ensure non-state groups no longer hold weapons. At a Sovereignty Day ceremony in Baghdad he said the end of the coalition mission does not mean the end of the fight against terrorism, adding that security cooperation with coalition countries would continue through intelligence sharing, training, expertise and technology.
Iraqi armed forces (spokesman Sabah al-Numan): Numan told NPR that Iraq is very proud to reach this day because of the sacrifices of the Iraqi armed forces, that Iraq is exploring bilateral military agreements with the United States, and that the country is moving from working under the umbrella of the coalition to an equal relationship, thanking the coalition for its efforts while saying its forces ultimately had to leave. He said the Iraqi military would not leave the Kurdistan region undefended and that Iraq was discussing buying air defense systems from South Korea and Turkey as well as the United States.
Iran-aligned militias in Iraq (Kataib Hezbollah): Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the Kataib Hezbollah militia, said in a statement that the expulsion of what he called the occupation forces, defeated, from the land of Iraq is the beginning of full sovereignty. He warned Prime Minister al-Zaidi and his government not to carry out American plans, threatening that any government that does not work for the benefit of the people will be overthrown by all means.
Iran and its allies: According to The Guardian, Iran and its allies celebrated the US departure as a victory.
Kurdistan Regional Government and Peshmerga Ministry: The Peshmerga Ministry, which oversees Kurdish armed forces, said the Kurdish region had faced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the recent US-Iran conflict, and that the US departure from the Kurdistan Region under complex regional circumstances without the provision of a defense system is a matter of concern. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said leaving the Kurdistan region without providing any defense system is a cause for concern. Kurdish military commander Sirwan Barzani told Reuters Iraq could also lose three other capabilities: US intelligence, logistical support and drones.
Iraqi and regional security analysts: Jassim al-Bahadli, who also serves as an adviser to the security forces, told Reuters that security vacuums can be extremely dangerous. Mohammed al-Juburi, a retired Iraqi army general, told Reuters that the most important question is whether Iraq has prepared a plan for this new phase. Hassan Barari, professor of international relations at the University of Jordan, told Al Jazeera it is unlikely the Iraqi state is currently capable of protecting its airspace from missiles and drones, citing the prospect of future Iranian strikes on Erbil as one example. Colonel Khalid al-Bayati, a senior Iraqi security official, told Reuters that ISIL is seeking to send a message that it remains powerful and capable of launching bloody attacks.
Position not represented in the source reporting: Government of Iran; Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).

Where sources differ

  • Troop numbers: NPR reports the US retained about 1,500 personnel in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; The Jerusalem Post reports Erbil Air Base hosted most of the 1,500 American-led coalition forces; Al Jazeera reports US forces in Iraq comprised some 2,500 military personnel in recent years, in addition to those in Syria.
  • Length of the national holiday: Al Jazeera reports four "Sovereignty Days" from September 30 to October 3; NPR reports Iraq's prime minister declared a two-day holiday.
  • Duration framing: The Jerusalem Post says many have portrayed the US as leaving after 23 years in Iraq from the 2003 invasion, while noting the US had already left in 2011 and returned in 2014 at Baghdad's request; other sources describe the mission that ended as a 12-year operation begun in 2014.
  • Day of the week: The Jerusalem Post states US forces ended their role in Iraq "on Tuesday," while the same article and all other sources describe the announcement and completion date as Wednesday, September 30.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • None of the sources contains any statement or comment from Iran's government, even though Iranian-backed militias and the US-Iran war are central to the story.
  • No statement or claim of responsibility from the Islamic State group (ISIS/ISIL) appears in any source.
  • No source gives the terms of any future US-Iraq bilateral defense agreement; NPR reports only that such agreements are being explored or discussed.
  • The Peshmerga Ministry's figure of more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks on the Kurdish region is not independently verified in any supplied source.
  • The estimate that ISIL has only a few hundred fighters rests on the UN secretary-general's report as cited by Al Jazeera; no source provides independent confirmation.
  • No source states how many US forces remain in Syria or elsewhere in the region after the headquarters move to Jordan.
  • No source identifies which specific Iran-backed militias rejected disarmament or sets out their stated conditions.
  • The number of US troops involved in the final departure, and the total cost or scale of equipment removed, is not established; sources give conflicting overall figures for the recent US presence in Iraq.
  • The Baghdad handover ceremony was closed to the press, according to NPR, and no source provides an account from inside it beyond official statements.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. NBC Connecticut — original — by Qassim Abdul-Zahra | The Associated Press
  2. The Guardian US — by Alba Asenjo Domínguez in Washington
  3. The Jerusalem Post — by SETH J. FRANTZMAN
  4. Al Jazeera English — by Al Jazeera Staff
  5. NPR News — by Jane Arraf
  6. Fox News — by Bradford Betz

Read the original at NBC Connecticut

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