The United States wrapped up its longest-running deployment in Iraq on 1 October 2026, removing the final handful of service members from Erbil Air Base. The departure marks the close of Operation Inherent Resolve a twelve-year coalition effort that eradicated the territorial caliphate of the Islamic State and shifted the fight against remaining sleeper cells to Iraqi security forces. Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell described the exit as an “orderly departure” in which all equipment was taken back, underscoring that the mission’s primary objective – defeating ISIS as a conventional force – has been achieved.
Political reverberations in Baghdad and Washington
In Baghdad, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared a four-day national holiday called “Sovereignty Days” and staged a parade that celebrated Iraqi autonomy. Speaking behind closed doors, al-Zaidi framed the moment as the start of a new phase defined by “strong institutions, ready forces and balanced partnerships”. The United States, meanwhile, has shifted the coalition’s headquarters to Jordan, signalling a transition from a wartime presence to a more conventional bilateral security relationship.
President Donald Trump used his social-media platform to tout the pullout as a triumph, calling the Iraq war “a very expensive excursion into Hell”. He contrasted the orderly exit with the chaotic retreat from Afghanistan in 2021 and claimed he ordered every piece of equipment – from screws to canvas tents – to be brought home. Trump also took a jab at President Joe Biden, reminding followers that the withdrawal agreement was signed in 2024 under Biden’s administration but completed under his own watch.
The uncertain trajectory of Iran-backed militias
Since the 2003 invasion, Iran has cultivated a network of armed groups that now sit within Iraq’s official security architecture. These Iran-backed militias fought alongside Iraqi forces against ISIS, but they also maintain independent command structures, financial channels and political parties that have long called for a complete U.S. exit. In the weeks following the withdrawal, militia representatives organized a celebratory march through Baghdad, waving their own flags and displaying portraits of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to a marching band.
Kataib Hezbollah’s spokesman, Jaafar Husseini, declared that the militias had “shouldered the burden of defeating the American occupation for the sake of faith and homeland”. He added that no external timetable dictates the groups’ future, implying that they will continue to operate independently of any Iraqi government agreement.
Al-Zaidi has pledged to disarm all paramilitary formations by June 2027, a goal that clashes with the militias’ claim to autonomy and with Tehran’s strategic interest in preserving a proxy network on Iraq’s soil. Former U.S. ambassador Douglas Silliman warned that the power vacuum could invite Iran to expand its sway, while Kurdish officials warned that the withdrawal leaves the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region exposed to both Iranian strikes and a potential ISIS resurgence.
What lies ahead for Iraq’s security landscape
With the U.S. pullout complete, the onus of guarding Iraq’s borders and suppressing remaining ISIS cells now rests squarely on the Iraqi Security Forces, the Peshmerga and other regional units. CENTCOM confirmed that a small task force remains in Syria, but the main anti-ISIS command has moved to Jordan. The Pentagon emphasized that the United States will continue to provide “targeted training and intelligence support” to its Iraqi partners.
Nevertheless, analysts stress that Iraq’s stability will be tested as it navigates a diplomatic tightrope between Washington and Tehran. The country must balance its desire for full sovereignty with the reality that Iran-aligned militias still control weapons, financial assets and political influence. How effectively the Iraqi government can enforce disarmament, while maintaining internal cohesion, will determine whether Iraq can truly move beyond the legacy of two decades of foreign intervention.
