US troops to leave Iraq by September 30, ending 23-year military presence

The US military will withdraw from Iraq by the end of September, bringing to a close a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein and later evolved into operations against the Islamic State (IS) group, American and Iraqi officials announced.

Speaking alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said Washington no longer believed a military presence in Iraq was necessary. Al-Zaidi, through an interpreter, confirmed that all US troops would leave by September 30, while American companies would continue operating in the country.

"We don't think we need the military there anymore," Trump said, pointing to Iraq's growing economic ties with US oil companies. "The relationship is a whole big relationship where we don't need the military. We're there to help them. We're there to protect them if need be. But we don't think that's going to be necessary."

Echoing the announcement, Al-Zaidi said, "US forces will be out of Iraq by September 30, while US companies will be inside Iraq."

The Pentagon later said the withdrawal reaffirms a 2024 agreement reached with Iraq to conclude the US-led mission against the Islamic State. Many American troops stationed in Iraq when the deal was signed during the Biden administration have already departed.

Over the past few years, the US has gradually transferred responsibility for countering the Islamic State to Iraqi security forces, which were trained and supported by American troops.

As part of this transition, US forces have steadily reduced their footprint, vacating several bases and consolidating operations elsewhere.

The US invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, allegations that were never substantiated. At the peak of the conflict in 2007, more than 170,000 American troops were deployed in Iraq.

Most combat forces withdrew in 2011 under an agreement negotiated during the Obama administration, leaving behind a limited contingent for security cooperation and embassy protection.

US troops returned to Iraq in 2014 at the invitation of Baghdad after the Islamic State seized large parts of Iraq and Syria. Their mission focused on training and assisting Iraqi forces in the fight against the militant group.

Although the Islamic State lost its territorial stronghold by 2021, around 2,500 US troops remained in Iraq for training and joint counterterrorism operations until the 2024 withdrawal agreement. Since then, troop numbers have been significantly reduced, with only a small advisory presence remaining.

The September withdrawal will formally end the US military mission in Iraq under the 2024 agreement, closing a chapter that began with the 2003 invasion and later shifted to training and counterterrorism operations.

With PTI inputs