US military withdrawal from Iraq reaches final stages

As of late September 2026, the United States is finalizing the withdrawal of its remaining military personnel from Iraq, ending a presence that began with the 2003 invasion. While some sources reported on September 28 that the pullout was already complete, other reports indicate the process is scheduled to conclude by Wednesday, September 30. Approximately 2,500 troops, previously stationed at bases in Arbil, the Baghdad airport, and the high-security Green Zone, are departing under a 2024 agreement initiated during the Joe Biden administration and executed under the government of Donald Trump.

The withdrawal concludes a mission that saw US forces return in 2014 to lead a coalition against the Islamic State, which saw its self-proclaimed caliphate collapse in Iraq by 2017 and Syria by 2019. However, security analysts, including Jasim al-Bahadli, warn that the departure removes a key counterweight to Iranian influence in the region. There are significant concerns that the vacuum could be exploited by Iran-backed militias to increase their political and security control, or allow remnants of the Islamic State to stage a resurgence. The move comes amid heightened regional tensions and a broader conflict between the US and Iran.