‘We are vulnerable’: Kurds fear renewed attacks as US‑led coalition departs Iraq

Kurdish regions fear renewed attacks as US-led coalition withdraws from Iraq. On the night of September 28, US-led forces began their withdrawal from Iraq, ending a decade-long mission to combat the Islamic State group. Although IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, coalition forces remained to contain any remaining threats. In 2024, Baghdad and Washington agreed to wind down the mission, leading to a gradual withdrawal from bases across Iraq and a final pullout from the Kurdistan Region on September 30.

Since February, Iran and the US have been at war, and Iraqi Kurdistan has endured over a thousand drone and ballistic missile attacks. The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's military forces, the Peshmerga, have been urged to take responsibility for the region's security. Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani expressed concern over the withdrawal without adequate defense systems. "The threat is real – we are vulnerable, we are being attacked," Barzani warned.

However, some Kurds remain worried about the withdrawal. Canel, a 19-year-old student, stated, "The presence of the coalition gave Kurds a feeling of safety, and I fear that without it, IS or another extremist threat could return and endanger the people of the Kurdistan Region again." The Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) leader, Barzani, sought to reassure citizens, stating the coalition's departure will not leave the Region vulnerable and threaten its existence.

Baghdad maintains that Iraq can stand on its own and declared 1 October, the day after the coalition's departure, Sovereignty Day. However, many Kurdish officials and experts disagree with the optimistic military assessment, citing the ongoing Iran-US war as a reason to require more time to strengthen security.