U.S. forces are set to leave their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, September 30, completing a withdrawal agreed by Washington and Baghdad and ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
The departure is being celebrated by Iran and allied Iraqi armed groups as a strategic victory. Iraqi security specialists and some Sunni and Kurdish officials, however, warn that the loss of U.S. intelligence, logistics and drone support could create openings for Islamic State sleeper cells and give Tehran-backed factions greater influence over security and political decisions.
The drawdown was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and is being completed under President Donald Trump. It shifts the relationship from the U.S.-led coalition mission toward bilateral security cooperation, including training and intelligence exchanges.
American forces invaded Iraq in 2003 and removed Saddam Hussein. They withdrew at the end of 2011, then returned less than three years later at Baghdad’s request to help Iraqi forces fight Islamic State. The militant group lost the territory it once controlled after major fighting from 2014 to 2017, but it retains a network of sleeper cells.
Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani said militant activity had increased after the withdrawal timetable became public. Iraqi security forces also said a suspected Islamic State cell had been preparing suicide attacks to coincide with the pullout, underscoring concern that the group could exploit security gaps.
Iraqi officials say national forces are prepared to assume responsibility. Critics of the timing argue that Iraq may not yet be ready to replace all of the coalition’s capabilities, particularly intelligence gathering and aerial surveillance.
Iran, which has long called for U.S. forces to leave the region, has welcomed the withdrawal. Washington, meanwhile, has accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq of destabilizing the country and launching attacks across the Middle East at Tehran’s direction.
About 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war and subsequent operations in Iraq. The withdrawal closes a major chapter in the U.S. military role there while leaving Baghdad to balance ties with Washington and Tehran and contain the remaining Islamic State threat.
Sources: Reuters; Vesti Baku.