Overview
- Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi told U.S. Central Command leader Adm. Brad Cooper on Wednesday that Sept. 30 is the fixed and final date to end the Global Coalition’s military mission and complete the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq.
- A U.S. official confirmed that Washington expects to finish its pullout by Sept. 30 but would not disclose how many troops remain in Iraq or where they will be redeployed.
- Iraqi Kurdish officials say a drawdown from Erbil began about three weeks ago and U.S. bases in the northern Kurdish region have been regularly attacked since Feb. 28, prompting the accelerated pullback there.
- Al‑Zaidi has set the same Sept. 30 deadline for non‑state armed groups to surrender weapons, but several powerful Iran‑backed militias have said they will not disarm, making enforcement and post‑withdrawal security uncertain.
- The pullout concludes a long U.S. presence that peaked in 2007, withdrew combat troops in 2011, returned in 2014 after ISIS advances, and left roughly 2,500 personnel for training and counter‑ISIS work before the 2024 agreement to wind down operations.