U.S. completes Iraq troop withdrawal, ending anti-ISIS mission there
The U.S. military said Wednesday it has finished withdrawing coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, ending the Iraq portion of Operation Inherent Resolve after a 12-year campaign against ISIS, as Baghdad marks a “Sovereignty Day” holiday amid Kurdish security concerns and the wider U.S.–Iran war.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the “orderly departure” of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region “marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq,” CBS News reported. The move follows a 2024 U.S.–Iraq plan to wind down the multi-country coalition and end Inherent Resolve’s Iraq mission by the end of 2026; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated a Sept. 30 target in a July meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to a Pentagon readout cited by CBS.
Why it matters
Ending the Iraq deployment closes a 12-year anti-ISIS chapter and tests whether Baghdad can contain ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias without a U.S. base presence — at a moment when regional war risk is already elevated.
What’s next
Watch whether residual bilateral training continues, whether militia disarmament deadlines slip again, and whether ISIS or Iran-aligned groups attempt to exploit the vacuum.
More context
The U.S. military said Wednesday it has completed the withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Iraq, ending the Iraq-based mission of Operation Inherent Resolve after more than a decade of fighting the Islamic State group.
Scale and context: Roughly 2,000 Americans were in Iraq as of February, officials said then — far below the more than 160,000 U.S. troops present at the peak of the late-2000s surge. About 1,500 U.S. troops who had been in Syria withdrew earlier this year, CBS reported. ISIS no longer holds significant territory, but remnants remain: Central Command said two U.S. soldiers and a translator were killed in an ISIS attack in December 2025.
Iran war backdrop: The pullout comes while the United States is at war with Iran. The Pentagon said Iran-affiliated militias launched more than 600 attacks against U.S. citizens and facilities between February and April 2026. Baghdad declared Sept. 30 “Sovereignty Day” and called for celebrations; Iran-backed groups also cast the exit as a win, AP and CBS reported.
Kurdish and security worries: Parnell said Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga, must lead efforts against ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias, with the U.S. continuing targeted training and intelligence support. Kurdish officials and analysts told CBS they fear air-defense gaps and expanding militia influence; al-Zaidi has said militias are expected to be disbanded by June 2027 after missing an earlier September 2026 goal.
Uncertainty: Open-source reports differ slightly on spelling (Erbil/Irbil) and on how many contractors or trainers may remain under a bilateral relationship. US Brief relies on the Pentagon statement via CBS/AP and has not verified every militia or Kurdish claim beyond those outlets.
3 listed sources
- CBS News (Eleanor Watson, Omar Abdulkader), Sep 30, 2026: U.S. military declares end of anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq
- Associated Press via The Gazette, Sep 30, 2026: AP News in Brief — U.S. military says withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete
- Reuters (Ahmed Rasheed, Muayad Hameed), Sep 30, 2026: US forces exit Iraq, emboldening Iran's proxies and Islamic State
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Primary sourcing: CBS News (Eleanor Watson, Omar Abdulkader), Sep 30, 2026 — Parnell statement, Erbil departure, OIR history, ~2,000 Americans as of February, Syria withdrawal earlier in 2026, Dec 2025 ISIS attack, 600+ militia attacks Feb–Apr 2026, Hegseth/al-Zaidi July meeting, al-Zaidi June 2027 militia disarmament goal, Kurdish adviser quotes. AP News in Brief via The Gazette, Sep 30, 2026 — withdrawal complete, Irbil/Erbil framing, Baghdad sovereignty framing. Stars and Stripes / NPR / ABC (Australia) corroborate completion date. US Brief has not independently verified base logistics beyond these outlets.
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