US Troops Set to Leave Iraq After 12-Year Anti-ISIS Mission: Reports

The United States is expected to complete its troop withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday, ending a 12-year deployment that began with the campaign against Islamic State, or ISIS, ABC News reported.

The departure follows a plan negotiated by the Biden administration with Iraq in 2024, which set September 30 as the final deadline. The Trump administration has continued implementing the agreement.

Remaining US forces are relocating to Jordan, where the continuing mission against ISIS will be headquartered, according to The Washington Post. The Pentagon maintains that troops operating from Jordan can target militants who threaten US personnel and interests.

A Second US Withdrawal

American troops previously left Iraq in 2011, ending an eight-year presence that began with the US-led invasion in 2003.

They returned in 2014 after ISIS captured large areas of Iraq and Syria and threatened the approaches to Baghdad. The US-led campaign defeated the group territorially in 2019, but American forces remained in Iraq to help prevent its resurgence.

In recent months, the military consolidated its positions in northern Iraq and reduced its presence in Erbil. Only a very small US contingent remained in the north ahead of the final withdrawal, ABC News reported.

The Washington Post reported that about 1,500 US personnel and anti-ISIS coalition members had recently remained in Iraq as forces were consolidated before the deadline.

If completed as expected, Wednesday’s departure would mark the second US military withdrawal from Iraq.

Anti-ISIS Operations Move to Jordan

The relocation to Jordan would allow Washington to continue its campaign against ISIS from outside Iraq.

The departure comes amid a changed regional security environment following the US war with Iran. Baghdad has longstanding political, cultural and military ties with Tehran, which supports Shiite militia groups operating in Iraq.

Those groups remain a challenge for the Iraqi government as it seeks to bring armed formations under full state control.

Iranian-backed militias have resisted calls to disarm, with their disarmament deadline extended to June 2027, The Washington Post reported.

Iraq Plans ‘Sovereignty Days’

Iraq will mark the US departure with four “Sovereignty Days”, a national holiday highlighting the end of the American military presence, Al Jazeera reported.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has linked the withdrawal to efforts to strengthen state authority, including plans to disarm militias by June 2027, according to the outlet.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last week, al-Zaidi said his government was “striving to ensure that the state is the ultimate decision-maker in matters of peace and war”.

With inputs from ANI