The US and its coalition partners will officially conclude their military mission in Iraq, aimed at combating the Islamic State (ISIS), by September 2025. The announcement, made in coordination with the Iraqi government, outlines a phased withdrawal of US troops from key bases, including the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and Baghdad International Airport. While this marks the end of a two-decade-long coalition mission, US officials have not confirmed whether this will result in a full withdrawal of the approximately 2,500 American troops currently stationed in the country.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh acknowledged the impending changes but refrained from providing specific details on troop numbers, signaling that the US presence will evolve rather than disappear completely. The US military footprint will shift significantly, with the first phase of the transition involving the closure of certain bases by September 2025, and a focus on relocating forces to the Hareer base in Erbil, located in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.
The move comes at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East, as the conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas threatens to spill over into a broader regional war. Over recent years, US bases in Iraq have been frequent targets of attacks by Iran-backed militias, with hostilities escalating further in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
For years, Iraqi officials have called for a withdrawal of foreign forces, and the agreement to end the coalition mission reflects these long-standing demands. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani praised the decision, citing confidence in Iraq’s security forces and their ability to defeat the remnants of ISIS without continued coalition assistance. Nevertheless, the continued US presence remains a point of contention within Iraq, especially among factions with close ties to Iran.
Despite the end of the ISIS mission, US officials have confirmed that a bilateral security relationship will persist between the two countries, allowing some American forces to remain in Iraq. This arrangement will likely continue into 2026, as US forces are expected to support counter-ISIS operations in neighboring Syria. The full scope of the future US-Iraq military relationship, including the number of troops that will remain, has yet to be determined.
