US Military Completes Withdrawal From Iraq After 23 Years

The United States military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, leaving behind a legacy spanning 23 years since the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, according to U.S. Central Command and Iraqi officials. The final departure from Erbil Air Base concludes a military presence that reshaped the Middle East, sparking years of insurgency and civil war while inadvertently expanding Iranian influence across Iraqi security, politics, and the economy.

Following an earlier partial withdrawal earlier this year, approximately 1,500 U.S. service members had remained stationed in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north. U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that the last of those forces had vacated Erbil Air Base. The anti-ISIS coalition previously headquartered in Iraq is now relocating its operations to Jordan as American forces continue counterterrorism operations in Syria.

Marking the End of the U.S.-Led Mission in Baghdad

Iraqi leaders and U.S. military commanders gathered Wednesday at a closed ceremony in Baghdad to mark the official end of the U.S.-led mission. The gathering took place at the former joint military command center located across from the American Embassy. State television broadcast the proceedings later in the day.

“A new phase has begun, characterized by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends,” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in a statement.

To mark the military exit, Prime Minister al-Zaidi declared a two-day holiday dubbed sovereignty day. Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the chief of the Iraqi armed forces, told NPR that the transition represents a major milestone for the country. “We are very proud to reach this day,” al-Numan said, attributing the milestone to the sacrifices of the Iraqi armed forces.

“We are moving from working under the umbrella of the coalition to an equal relationship with them,” al-Numan said. “We thank all efforts that the coalition did and all the country and we will continue this relationship and that way. But at the end they have to go.”

Kurdish Security Concerns and Regional Pressures

The departure of U.S. forces has raised acute anxieties among Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq. For decades, the Kurdish population relied on U.S. protection, dating back to the 1991 establishment of a no-fly zone by the U.S., U.K., and France following the war that followed Iraqi leader Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait. Leaders in the region now fear vulnerability to attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias.

Al-Numan insisted that the Iraqi military would not leave the Kurdistan region undefended. Baghdad is currently discussing potential purchases of air defense systems from South Korea, Turkey, and the United States to safeguard against incoming missiles and drones.

The region also remains a flashpoint regarding armed Iranian opposition groups, some of which were hosted by toppled leader Saddam Hussein. Although the regional government bars these groups from launching cross-border attacks, Iran has continuously demanded the closure of their bases and targeted them with hundreds of strikes alongside attacks on U.S. facilities in the area.

Historical Context and Future Bilateral Ties

This exit marks the second time U.S. forces have withdrawn from Iraq. American troops previously pulled out in 2011 amid political opposition, only to be invited back by Baghdad in 2014 after ISIS captured roughly one-third of the country following the collapse of key Iraqi army divisions. U.S. forces, alongside Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters, territorially defeated ISIS in Iraq by 2017.

President Trump has frequently criticized long-standing military deployments as ‘endless wars’, while Iran has spent years pressuring Baghdad to expel American troops entirely. Despite the closure of the coalition mission, al-Numan noted that Iraq is actively exploring new bilateral military agreements with the United States to maintain a normalized defense partnership moving forward.