NEWS
U.S Military Completes Withdrawal From Iraq After More Than Two Decades
The United States military has reportedly completed its withdrawal from Iraq, bringing an end to the presence of American combat and logistical support forces in the country, according to a report by the German Press Agency, DPA, citing an Iraqi government official.
The Iraqi official said on Sunday, September 27, that all remaining US combat troops and logistical support personnel had departed the country. The US military had not officially confirmed the reported completion of the withdrawal at the time of the report.
The departure follows a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to withdraw the remaining approximately 2,500 US military personnel stationed in Iraq.
The American military presence in Iraq dates back to the 2003 US-led invasion ordered by then-President George W. Bush. Although US forces were subsequently reduced and their role shifted over the years, American troops remained at strategic locations across the country.
Before the latest withdrawal, US personnel were stationed in several key areas, including Erbil in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, a military facility near Baghdad International Airport and the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, which houses major government institutions as well as the US Embassy. The final phase of the US military presence unfolded amid heightened regional tensions and repeated attacks involving American forces, Iraqi armed groups and Iran. During the war against Iran launched by US President Donald Trump on February 28, American forces carried out strikes against the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMU, an Iraqi security formation that includes factions linked to Iran-backed armed groups operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Iraqi resistance groups subsequently targeted US positions with drone attacks, with several incidents reported in and around the Kurdish region, particularly Erbil. Iran also conducted strikes against Kurdish-linked targets, including facilities used for training by Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.
The reported completion of the US withdrawal marks a significant development in Iraq’s post-2003 security landscape and represents another major step in the gradual reduction of America’s direct military footprint in the country.