Pentagon Confirms US Troop Withdrawal From Iraq Complete, Mission Ends

Conflict59 sourcesSep 30, 2026

Leans rightFactual rigor 54/100

The Story

The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that the final troops deployed to Iraq as part of an anti-ISIL mission have left the country.

Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell stated the remaining United States troops and other international coalition forces, along with equipment, conducted an “orderly departure” from the Erbil Airbase in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. US Central Command (Centcom) also announced the departure of US forces from Iraq, ending its 12-year military mission. The last US troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington.

The UK Ministry of Defence stated around 100 UK military personnel also departed from Irbil. Approximately 1,500 American and coalition forces were housed at Erbil Air Base in the mission's final stages. The withdrawal culminates a years-long process, agreed upon two years ago in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration.

A joint Iraq-US statement in September 2024 announced the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL would wind down in two stages, with combat operations ending by September 2025 and support for Syria operations continuing until September 2026. The US-led coalition initially invaded Iraq in 2003, with troop numbers peaking at 170,000 in 2007. The US withdrew troops in 2011 but redeployed in 2015 amid ISIL's rise.

The few hundred remaining foreign troops consolidated in Erbil at the end of last year, shifting to an advisory role after ISIL's territorial defeat in 2017. More than 4,400 US service members died in Iraq during the war and its aftermath. The Iraq Body Count project states over 200,000 Iraqi civilians were killed. Iraq's government hailed the withdrawal as a step in reclaiming sovereignty.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi stated it marks Iraq's transition to full responsibility for its security. Baghdad is marking the occasion with four “Sovereignty Days” from September 30 to October 3. Iran and its allies celebrated the departure as a victory.

What they agree on

The US military completed its withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The withdrawal formally ends a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group, known as Operation Inherent Resolve.
The last US troops departed from an air base in Erbil, located in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
The Iraqi government and Iran-backed groups celebrated the departure as a sign of increased sovereignty or a victory.
Some Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, expressed concerns about a potential resurgence of the Islamic State group and increased attacks by Iran-linked groups following the withdrawal.

Where they split

Some international sources, including Al Jazeera and BusinessDay, emphasize the 23-year duration of US involvement in Iraq, tracing it back to the 2003 invasion, while others, such as The Boston Globe and PBS NewsHour, primarily focus on the 12-year mission against the Islamic State group.
Several international outlets, including BusinessDay and Daily Maverick, highlight that the pullout was agreed upon in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration, a detail less prominent in some US coverage.
Al Jazeera and BBC News specifically mention the departure of UK troops alongside US forces, noting around 100 UK military personnel left Irbil, a detail not consistently present across all reports.
Some articles, such as The Guardian and Al-Monitor, detail the specific types of ongoing support, like training and intelligence, that the Pentagon will continue to provide to Iraq, while other reports focus more broadly on the conclusion of the military mission.