Iraqi Officials Say U.S. Forces Have Left Iraq

Iraqi officials say U.S. forces have completed their withdrawal from the country, ending the U.S.-led coalition’s military mission against ISIS in Iraq as a September 30, 2026, deadline arrived. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the forces had left Iraqi territory, while an Iraqi government official separately said they had departed their last bases. The U.S. military had not independently confirmed the completed withdrawal in a report published September 30. The departure follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to wind down the coalition mission and move security cooperation toward a bilateral relationship. The transition is intended to include areas such as training and intelligence sharing, according to accounts of the agreement. Iraqi officials have said Iraqi security forces will assume responsibility for security inside the country. The withdrawal was completed as the two governments’ deadline approached. Reports before September 30 said U.S. troops had been leaving or consolidating bases, with a remaining presence concentrated in the Kurdistan Region.