The U.S. military plans to leave Iraq completely by September 30. This will mark the end of the U.S. military presence in the country, which began after the 2003 invasion. ABC News reports this, citing American and Iraqi officials, writes UNN.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said after a meeting with U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper that September 30 is a "fixed and final date" for ending the military mission of the international coalition against the "Islamic State" in Iraq and withdrawing its forces.
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A U.S. official confirmed that Washington expects to complete the withdrawal by that date, but did not specify how many troops currently remain in the country or where they will be redeployed.
The U.S. has already withdrawn most of its forces
According to two Kurdish officials, the withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, began about three weeks ago. U.S. bases in the region have been regularly attacked since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
The U.S. and Iraq agreed in 2024 to gradually end the operations of the international coalition against ISIS. Most U.S. forces left Iraqi bases last year.
The U.S. military presence in Iraq reached more than 170,000 troops in 2007. The last combat units left the country in 2011, but in 2014 the U.S. returned after ISIS's offensive at the invitation of the Iraqi government.
After the coalition's main combat operations ended in 2021, the U.S. left about 2,500 troops in Iraq to train local forces and conduct operations against ISIS.
At the same time, the Iraqi government set September 30 as the deadline for disarming non-state armed groups. However, the most powerful pro-Iranian militias have already stated that they do not intend to give up their weapons.