US-Led Coalition to Complete Iraq Withdrawal by September 30

By Staff, Agencies

Spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Sabah al-Numan, confirmed Monday that the withdrawal of US and international coalition forces from Iraq will be completed on September 30.

The move follows years of Iraqi demands for the departure of foreign troops. Parliament called for their removal in 2020, following the US strike in Baghdad that martyred Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Although the US declared its combat mission over in 2021, its forces remained in an advisory capacity.

Subsequently, Baghdad and Washington agreed on a phased end to the coalition’s military mission. In July, the Pentagon said Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission in Iraq would conclude by September 30.

Meanwhile, al-Numan said Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi had ordered a committee to define Iraq’s future relationship with coalition members on the basis of equality. “The relationship with coalition countries will shift to integration and cooperation after September 30,” he said.

During a July meeting at the Pentagon, al-Zaidi and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed the end of the coalition mission and the future of US-Iraqi relations.