Iraq celebrates as last US troops withdraw from country
Iraq celebrates as last US troops withdraw from country The US removed its last troops from Iraq on Wednesday, 23 years after Washington invaded the country to topple former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power, in an intervention that cost over $1 trillion and led to hundreds of thousands of deaths over the last two decades. "Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally…
On September 30, 2026, Iraq marked the departure of the last United States troops from its soil, 23 years after the nation was invaded by Washington to remove former dictator Saddam Hussein. The costly intervention, which exceeded $1 trillion and resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties over two decades, officially concluded its mission in Iraq, as stated by the Pentagon.
The US initially entered Iraq in 2003, following Hussein's removal, before exiting its forces in 2011. However, a return was requested by the Iraqi government in 2014 to combat the rise of the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which had occupied roughly one-third of the country.
The US gradually drew down its forces throughout 2025, relocating from the Ain al-Asad base in Anbar Province and the Victory Base Complex at Baghdad International Airport to Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. This region, granted semi-autonomy in 2005, operates independently with its own government, including a prime minister, president, and security force known as the Peshmerga.
The withdrawal ceremony took place in Baghdad, with a member of the Iraqi security forces displaying the victory sign during a military parade, signifying the end of the US-led coalition's presence in the country.
Written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Iraq celebrates as last US troops withdraw from country middleeasteye.net
