- The withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 US troops marks the end of Operation Inherent Resolve, but Iraq continues to face questions over armed groups, foreign forces and security in the Kurdistan Region.
- Despite the military withdrawal, US-Iraq relations are not ending. Analysts say the relationship is expected to increasingly focus on economic and commercial cooperation, alongside continued defense ties, as Baghdad seeks to consolidate its sovereignty while maintaining its partnership with Washington.
Iraq is set to enter a new phase after the United States completes the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops on September 30, ending the 12-year US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission against ISIS and more than two decades of US military involvement in the country.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has described October 1 as a new era of Iraqi sovereignty, with Baghdad planning four public holidays to mark what it calls “Independence Day.” The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington. However, the departure of US forces does not mean Iraq will be free of foreign military deployments. Turkey still maintains troops in northern Iraq, although Ankara has said it will gradually hand over a military base to Baghdad, dw.com reports.
A major unresolved issue is the future of Iraq’s Iran-backed armed groups. Baghdad has extended its deadline for disarming and integrating militias into state security forces to June 30, 2027, including an initial 90-day period during which armed groups would refrain from attacks in return for assurances that US forces would not target them.
Several powerful groups, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, have not indicated that they are prepared to surrender their weapons. Analysts cited by DW say Iraq’s fragmented political landscape, in which some political movements are linked to armed organizations, could complicate efforts to bring all weapons under government control.
Security concerns are also growing in the Kurdistan Region. The US withdrawal includes the removal of American air-defense systems from Erbil, which has faced attacks involving Iran and Iran-backed Iraqi groups. Kurdish authorities have called on Baghdad to strengthen protection against missile and drone attacks.
The security transition also raises concerns for Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Yazidis and Kurdish communities, amid continuing regional tensions.
Despite the military withdrawal, US-Iraq relations are not ending. Analysts say the relationship is expected to increasingly focus on economic and commercial cooperation, alongside continued defense ties, as Baghdad seeks to consolidate its sovereignty while maintaining its partnership with Washington.
