USA to conclude Iraq mission: Final date set for troop withdrawal

The United States is expected to withdraw its last soldiers from Iraq by September 30, thereby ending a long military chapter that began with the American invasion of the country in 2003. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met on Wednesday with the commander of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, and clarified that the date set for the end of the coalition's mission and the departure of its forces is "fixed and final." An American official confirmed that the withdrawal is indeed expected to be completed by the end of September.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's office, the parties reaffirmed the timetable for ending the international coalition's mission against ISIS. The statement defined September 30 as the "fixed and final date" for the conclusion of the coalition's military mission and the completion of the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq.

The Iraqi Prime Minister declared that October 1 will mark a new day for the country, which he said will be free of any foreign military presence and will bear full responsibility for its own security and stability. An American official confirmed that Washington expects to complete the withdrawal by September 30, but did not disclose the number of remaining personnel or their future deployment plans.

The withdrawal is not intended to end security and political relations between the two nations. According to the Iraqi statement, relations between Baghdad and Washington will transition to a new stage of cooperation and partnership in the fields of economy, development, and security, while emphasizing respect for sovereignty and common interests.

The American military presence in Iraq began with the US-led invasion in 2003, which led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime. At the peak of American activity in 2007, more than 170,000 soldiers were stationed in the country.

Following a broad withdrawal in 2011, US forces returned in 2014 to combat the rise of ISIS. Since then, they have operated as part of an international coalition. In recent years, the nature of the activity shifted; the coalition's combat mission officially ended in 2021, with remaining forces focusing on advising, training, and assisting Iraqi security forces.

In 2024, Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement to end the coalition's activity and gradually transfer security responsibility to Iraqi forces. Most American troops have already departed, with a limited force remaining primarily in the Kurdish region in the north.

Completing the withdrawal on September 30 marks a significant shift: responsibility for countering ISIS and other security threats will pass fully to Iraqi forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga. From Baghdad's perspective, this is a declaration of sovereignty. However, the departure does not signify a severance of ties; the intention is to replace the coalition's military framework with direct bilateral cooperation, continuing the partnership in a new format.