नेपाली
Baghdad, October 1: The United States has completed the withdrawal of all its troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military mission focused on fighting the Islamic State (IS) group.
The final U.S. troops and equipment left an air base in Irbil, in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, under a withdrawal agreement reached between Baghdad and Washington in 2024.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the troops had completed an “orderly departure” from the base. He said the withdrawal marked the end of the U.S. led coalition’s wartime mission and the beginning of a more normal security relationship between the two countries.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi described the withdrawal as the start of a new phase centered on Iraq’s sovereignty, stronger state institutions and greater readiness of its security forces. He said Iraqi forces would continue operations against IS.
The U.S. military first invaded Iraq in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein and withdrew in 2011. However, U.S.-led forces returned in 2014 after the Islamic State captured large areas of Iraq. As the group’s territorial control was dismantled, Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to gradually end the coalition mission.
The withdrawal comes amid continuing tensions between the United States and Iran, with Iran backed Iraqi militias having previously carried out attacks against U.S. forces. Some groups have welcomed the U.S. departure, while officials in Iraq’s Kurdish region have expressed concerns over the loss of American air defense systems.
Iraq’s government has also faced pressure to disarm powerful non-state armed groups. While some smaller militias have agreed to surrender their weapons, several influential Iran-aligned groups have rejected the move or imposed conditions. The government has now pushed the deadline for militia disarmament to June 2027, according to al-Zaidi.
The immediate impact of the U.S. withdrawal is expected to be limited, as American forces had already been significantly reduced before the final departure.
Source: Associated Press (AP)
