US formally ends Iraq mission after more than a decade fighting Islamic State

Washington, September 30 - The United States declared on Wednesday the formal conclusion of its mission against jihadists in Iraq, following the withdrawal of troops from the Erbil airbase in the Kurdistan region. Having endured more than ten years, the US-led coalition announced the end of its operation to combat the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and its neighboring Syria.

The extremist group, notorious for seizing vast territories in both nations and committing heinous crimes, was vanquished in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. However, coalition forces remained present to confront the remnants of the group.

According to the Pentagon's spokesperson Sean Parnell, "Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, consistent with the September 2024 US-Iraq joint statement and US national interests." The orderly withdrawal of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base signifies the successful completion of the military mission that annihilated ISIS in Iraq, Parnell stated.

In 2024, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement to discontinue the coalition's mission. The withdrawal of troops unfolded gradually from various bases throughout the country, with the presence of coalition personnel limited to the autonomous northern Kurdistan region. The Iraqi government views the coalition's departure as eliminating the justification provided by powerful Iran-backed militant factions to retain their weapons.