US Forces to Exit Iraq by Wednesday, Ending Two-Decade Military Presence

The United States is set to pull its forces out of their last remaining bases in Iraq by Wednesday, closing a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein — a campaign in which around 4,500 Americans lost their lives, according to Reuters.

The pullout, agreed in 2024 under then-President Joe Biden and now carried out under Donald Trump, ends the remaining American-led mission against Islamic State in the country’s northern Kurdish region, after troops withdrew from most other Iraqi areas last year.

Iran and its allied factions are celebrating the departure as a victory. Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a commander in the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, described the withdrawal to Reuters as a “historic victory” and a “crushing defeat for the American project”. Iraqi security analyst Jasim al-Bahadli warned that Tehran stands to benefit strategically, as the exit removes a military presence that for years acted as a counterweight to its influence in Iraq.

Security officials also fear Islamic State could exploit the gap. Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani said sleeper cells have become more active since the pullout was announced, and Iraqi officials say a suspected cell was preparing suicide attacks timed with the withdrawal.

US and Iraqi officials insist Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga, are ready to lead the fight against the militants.

Sources

• Reuters: US forces exit Iraq after two decades, leaving opening for Iran
• Associated Press (via Military.com): Officials Say US Forces on Track to Complete Iraq Pullout by Sept. 30
• Atlantic Council: Ten questions (and expert answers) on the final withdrawal of US troops from Iraq