The Pentagon said the coalition’s military mission had concluded following the withdrawal of its remaining forces and equipment, while Washington said it would continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners.

The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to end the coalition’s military mission in Iraq, where the United States had maintained a major military presence since returning in 2014 under the claimed objective of fighting Daesh (ISIL or ISIS).

That return came three years after US forces had formally withdrawn from Iraq following the 2003 invasion and occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Despite the defeat of Daesh as a territorial force, the US-led coalition’s presence continued for years, drawing opposition from Iraqi political forces and segments of the population who demanded an end to the foreign military occupation.

Iraqi officials have emphasized that the end of the coalition mission marks a transition toward an Iraqi-led security structure rather than the end of the fight against terrorism.

The final US forces reportedly departed from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, which had served as an important US military link to operations in northeastern Syria and support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The withdrawal from the Victoria base near Baghdad International Airport was also significant, as the facility had served for years as a major security and intelligence center and provided protection for US diplomatic personnel.

Unlike the 2011 US withdrawal, when large quantities of military equipment and infrastructure were left at Iraqi bases, Iraqi security and military sources said Washington this time removed its remaining equipment from the country, transferring it to Kuwait, Turkey and Jordan.

The latest withdrawal therefore marks a substantially different departure from the previous US exit, which was followed by the emergence of Daesh and the return of American forces to Iraq in 2014.

In Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi formally announced the conclusion of the international coalition’s mission during a ceremony marking Sovereignty Day.

Al-Zaidi said the mobilization of the Iraqi people alongside the armed forces had opened a new phase in which Iraqi forces reorganized their command structures, consolidated resources and took the initiative in confronting terrorism.

He also credited friendly countries that supported Iraq during the confrontation, while stressing that the conclusion of the coalition mission did not mean the end of Iraq’s battle against terrorism.

“Ending the international coalition’s mission does not mean the end of our battle with terrorism, but rather Iraq’s transition to a stage in which it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability, and the international coalition’s mission ended with the security forces taking control of the situation.”

Al-Zaidi said the next phase would be defined by “Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision and balanced partnerships with its friends.”

The end of the US-led military mission thus closes a chapter that began with the 2014 return of foreign forces, while placing the responsibility for Iraq’s security increasingly in the hands of its own state institutions.