United States Completes Military Pullout from Iraq After Two Decades

The United States has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, wrapping up a presence that began with the 2003 invasion. Pentagon officials confirmed that the final personnel departed from an air base in Erbil on Wednesday, September 30, following an agreement reached between Washington and Baghdad.

Future Ties

While the coalition campaign against the Islamic State has concluded, bilateral security cooperation will continue through intelligence sharing, training, and arms sales. A US official noted that anti-militant operations will now be managed from Jordan, while Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi led the handover ceremony in Baghdad and emphasized that Iraq is taking full security responsibility.

Security Fears

Many citizens and officials have raised concerns about potential security gaps, warning that armed groups and IS sleeper cells could exploit the void. The Kurdish region expressed particular anxiety over the loss of US air defence systems following numerous recent drone attacks, while Iran and its allied factions hailed the departure as a strategic victory.

Context

The US military footprint in Iraq underwent multiple shifts over two decades, including a full withdrawal in 2011 followed by a return in 2014 to combat the rapid territorial gains of the Islamic State. Brown University's Cost of War Project estimates that the decades of conflict cost upwards of 4,500 American service lives and over 200,000 Iraqi civilian deaths, alongside trillions of dollars in total expenses.