US hands over last base, ends 12-year Iraq mission

The United States has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, handing over all bases and ending a 12-year military mission against the Islamic State, officials said on Tuesday.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the “orderly departure” from Irbil, the last remaining base, on September 30, 2026. The withdrawal was agreed in 2024 under a phased plan to end the anti-ISIS coalition’s combat role.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared the move a restoration of national sovereignty, saying Iraqi forces were now fully responsible for the country’s security. The US-led coalition had maintained a presence since 2014, when it intervened against ISIS.
The Baghdad Victory base was among the installations evacuated. US officials said counterterrorism cooperation with Baghdad would continue through advisory and intelligence channels, even as combat troops leave. The withdrawal marks the end of a chapter that began with the 2014 ISIS blitz across northern Iraq and years of grinding coalition warfare. US officials said the embassy in Baghdad would remain one of America’s largest diplomatic missions, and that Washington would continue supporting Iraqi forces with training, equipment sales and intelligence sharing.
Leave a Reply