The United States completed the withdrawal of its forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on September 30, ending its Operation Inherent Resolve mission in the country, US Central Command said. The departure fulfills a timetable agreed with Baghdad and transfers primary responsibility for Iraq’s security to Iraqi forces, while Washington plans a continuing bilateral defense relationship.
The US-led mission began in 2014 after the Islamic State group seized large parts of Iraq. American troops had left the country in 2011 following the 2003 invasion, then returned at Iraq’s invitation to support the campaign against the group. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down coalition operations in stages; forces began leaving bases in federal Iraq last October, according to Central Command.
Erbil Air Base served as the coalition’s main operational hub and hosted most of the roughly 1,500 American and allied personnel supporting operations against the Islamic State group, Central Command said. The military command overseeing that campaign remains active but is now headquartered in Jordan. US forces will continue counter-ISIS work in Syria with coalition partners and the Syrian government, the command said.
The Pentagon said it would continue targeted training and intelligence support for Iraqi partners, according to the Associated Press. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi described the handover as a new phase of Iraqi sovereignty and said national forces would continue to fight Islamic State cells. President Donald Trump welcomed the withdrawal and portrayed it as a success for both countries, AP reported.
The departure comes amid the US-Iran war, which has also brought attacks involving Iran-backed groups inside Iraq. AP and Reuters reported that some Iraqis welcomed the end of the foreign military presence, while officials and residents in the Kurdish region worry about the loss of air defenses and intelligence support. Central Command said Iraqi forces can manage threats at home and that US and coalition forces elsewhere in the region remain ready to respond if Islamic State activity grows.
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