Why Did the US Complete Its Troop Withdrawal From Iraq?

The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that the final American troops deployed to Iraq as part of the anti-ISIL mission have left the country, according to Al Jazeera. The departure ends a US military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.

What did the Pentagon say happened?

Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said the remaining US troops and other international coalition forces, along with equipment, completed an "orderly departure" from the Erbil Airbase in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Al Jazeera reported. The US military command overseeing the Middle East, CENTCOM, said the task force that had been running anti-ISIL operations has been relocated.

How long were US troops in Iraq?

The US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003 under the Global War on Terror, with troop numbers peaking at roughly 170,000 in 2007, according to Al Jazeera. Washington withdrew forces in 2011 but sent troops back in 2015 as ISIL seized territory in Iraq and Syria. After ISIL's territorial defeat in 2017, the remaining contingent shifted to an advisory role, and the last few hundred troops were consolidated at Erbil by the end of last year.

Why is the withdrawal happening now?

Parnell described the move as "the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organised military threat in Iraq and across the region."

"It also marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship," Parnell said, according to Al Jazeera.

President Donald Trump first announced a full Iraq troop withdrawal in 2020 as part of a pledge to end what he called "endless wars." The specific withdrawal plan carried out this week was signed in 2024 by then-President Joe Biden and then-Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Al Jazeera reported.

Who is responsible for Iraq's security now?

Parnell said primary responsibility for Iraq's remaining security challenges, including ISIL remnants and Iran-aligned militias that undermine Iraqi sovereignty and regional stability, now rests with the Iraqi government. He said the US expects Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other forces in the Kurdistan region, to lead efforts to keep ISIL remnants suppressed. The Department of War will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners, Parnell said.

How has Iraq's government responded?

Al Jazeera reported that Iraq's government has hailed the withdrawal as an important step in reclaiming the country's sovereignty after two decades of war and foreign intervention. The outlet noted separately that Iraq is also examining alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports, part of broader questions about the country's ability to manage security and economic challenges without a foreign military presence.

The Pentagon's announcement closes a chapter that spanned four US presidencies and multiple shifts in mission, from full-scale invasion to advisory support to a bilateral security partnership that no longer includes American combat forces on Iraqi soil.

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