United States forces to withdraw from final Iraq base
- United States forces are preparing to withdraw from their final military base in Iraq on September 30, 2026.
- The military exit, agreed upon in 2024 under the administration of U.S.
- Jasim al-Bahadli stated that Iran would gain a strategic advantage from the departure of the coalition, as it removes a military presence that for years acted as a...
United States forces are preparing to withdraw from their final military base in Iraq on September 30, 2026. The departure comes after more than two decades of military involvement in the country, during which 4,500 American service members lost their lives following the 2003 invasion to oust dictator Saddam Hussein.
Strategic Shift and Regional Reactions
The military exit, agreed upon in 2024 under the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and executed by Donald Trump’s administration, is being celebrated as a major victory by Iran and its regional allies. Iraqi security experts note that the pullout removes a long-standing military counterbalance to Tehran’s influence, granting Iran and its proxy militias greater room to maneuver in both political and security decisions.
Jasim al-Bahadli stated that Iran would gain a strategic advantage from the departure of the coalition, as it removes a military presence that for years acted as a counterweight to Tehran’s influence in Iraq.
Similarly, Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a commander of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, welcomed the shift.
Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri stated that on September 30, they would celebrate turning a black page in Iraq’s history and the failure of the occupation to impose its will on the country, adding that Iraq had proven its sovereignty could not be secured by foreign forces but by resistance and the people’s will.
In neighboring Iran, Vice Chairman of the National Security Commission of Parliament Amir Hayat Moqaddam asserted that enduring security would soon follow the American departure.
Amir Hayat Moqaddam stated that Iran welcomed the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq and would undoubtedly support it.
Security Vulnerabilities and Domestic Concerns
While the exit enjoys broad popularity among Iraqi citizens seeking full sovereignty, domestic critics worry that the withdrawal is premature and risks creating a dangerous security vacuum. Abdulrahman al-Zobaie, a Sunni tribal figure in Fallujah, expressed reservations about the timing.
Abdulrahman al-Zobaie stated that all Iraqis craved full sovereignty, and no Iraqi would dispute that, but he believed the US-led coalition leaving in this manner and creating a vacuum was what all Iraqis feared.
Security officials also warn that the departure of U.S. intelligence, logistical support, and drone operations could allow the Islamic State (ISIS) to rebuild its networks. ISIS previously controlled a third of Iraqi territory before a U.S.-backed campaign dismantled its territorial caliphate between 2014 and 2017. Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani reported noting increased activity among dormant cells.
Sirwan Barzani stated that for more than two weeks, they had been paying attention to the movements of ISIS sleeper cells after it was announced in public media that there would be an official withdrawal of the international coalition from Iraq at the end of September.
Iraqi security forces report that suspected ISIS cells are preparing attacks timed to coincide with the drawdown. Colonel Khalid al-Bayati, a senior security official in the strategic oil city of Kirkuk, noted that the group aims to exploit the transition.
Colonel Khalid al-Bayati stated that ISIS was seeking to send a message that the group was still strong and capable of launching bloody attacks.