Last U.S. troops leave Iraq as the anti-ISIS mission ends, 23 years after the invasion
U.S. Central Command said its last forces left Erbil Air Base on Wednesday, ending Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, as Iran said it had received Washington’s reply to its Hormuz proposal.
What we know: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it “completed the orderly departure of U.S. forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base” on Sept. 30, marking the end of the Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq. CENTCOM called the move part of a planned transition to a U.S.-Iraq bilateral defense relationship. The coalition task force that ran the anti-ISIS campaign remains operational, now headquartered in Jordan, and U.S. forces continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria.
Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, had hosted most of the roughly 1,500 American and coalition troops still supporting counter-ISIS work; forces began leaving federal Iraq last October, CENTCOM said. “Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander.
Reaction in Washington and Baghdad: President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the withdrawal “marks the end of a very expensive excursion into Hell,” NPR reported. Iraqi leaders and U.S. commanders marked the end of the mission at a closed ceremony in Baghdad. “A new phase has begun, characterized by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces,” Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in a statement. Iraq declared a two-day holiday and dubbed Wednesday “sovereignty day,” according to NPR.
The pullout fulfills a plan agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by the Trump administration while it wages war with neighboring Iran, Reuters reported. Iran-backed groups celebrated: one commander called it a “crushing defeat for the American project,” per Reuters. Of the 18 U.S. service members listed as killed since the Iran war began in February, seven died in Iraq, Reuters said.
What is still unresolved: Kurdish leaders have voiced concern that the withdrawal leaves them exposed to Iran and Iran-backed militias, NPR reported. Al-Zaidi had agreed to disarm those militias by Sept. 30 but has asked to extend the deadline to next June, and three of the most powerful groups say they will not hand over weapons. Iraqi officials say they are exploring bilateral military agreements with the United States.
The Iran track: Also Wednesday, Iran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had conveyed a U.S. response to its seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported. Officials did not say what the response contained or whether it was a rejection, the Associated Press reported. An official briefed on the talks told Reuters the sides largely agree on the steps but still disagree on their order. Britain’s UKMTO reported that two ships were hit by projectiles in the strait on Tuesday.
What this means: More than two decades after the 2003 invasion, which NPR notes left more than 4,400 U.S. military personnel dead, the U.S.-led military mission in Iraq has formally ended, with counter-ISIS work shifting to Jordan and Syria. How Iraq handles armed factions, Kurdish security and its ties with Washington, and whether U.S.-Iran talks move, will decide what the exit actually changes.
Sources
- U.S. Central Command — U.S. Forces End Operation Inherent Resolve Mission in Iraq
- NPR — The U.S. military withdraws from Iraq over 2 decades after its invasion
- ThePrint (Reuters) — Iran says it receives US response to latest proposal as Washington pulls out of Iraq
- The Boston Globe (AP) — Iran says it’s received an official US response to offer on ending the war