Officials say US forces on track to complete Iraq pullout by Sept. 30
Summary
U.S. officials say American forces are set to finish withdrawing from Iraq by September 30, 2026. This ends the military mission that began with the 2003 invasion and continued efforts against the Islamic State group.Key Facts
- The U.S. and Iraq agreed in 2024 to end the U.S.-led operation against ISIS in Iraq.
- Most U.S. troops left Iraqi bases last year, except those in the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
- The Kurdish bases have been targeted since the U.S. and Israel started a war on Iran in February 2026.
- Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with U.S. military leaders and confirmed September 30 as the final withdrawal date.
- U.S. forces helped defeat ISIS, and now Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish Peshmerga, will lead anti-terror efforts.
- The U.S. troop number in Iraq peaked over 170,000 in 2007; troops left in 2011 but returned in 2014 at Iraq’s request.
- The current U.S. mission has about 2,500 troops for training and counter-ISIS operations.
- Iraq’s prime minister also set a deadline of September 30 for armed non-state groups to disarm, but many militias, especially Iran-backed ones, resist giving up weapons.
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