The United States has fully withdrawn its military forces from Iraq, an Iraqi government official confirmed on Sunday, ending more than two decades of American troop presence in the country.
All US combat troops and logistical support personnel have left Iraq, the official told the German news agency dpa.
There was no immediate official confirmation from Washington at the time of the report.The withdrawal fulfils a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to end the US-led Global Coalition’s military mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) and transition to a bilateral security relationship.
Around 2,500 American troops had been stationed in Iraq in recent years, primarily at bases in Erbil in the Kurdish region, near Baghdad airport, and in the capital’s Green Zone.
The formal deadline for the complete pullout is September 30. Iraq plans to mark the occasion with public holidays described as “Independence Day,” during which government institutions will be closed.
The departure closes a chapter that began with the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. US forces later returned in 2014 to help combat ISIS after the group seized large parts of Iraqi territory.
Officials on both sides have said Iraqi security forces are now capable of leading the fight against remaining ISIS remnants.Iran and Iran-aligned groups in Iraq are expected to welcome the move.
A planned parallel process to disarm and integrate powerful Iran-backed militias into the state security apparatus has been postponed until June 2027.