News world US To Withdraw All Troops From Iraq By September 30, Ending 23-Year Military PresenceUS To Withdraw All Troops From Iraq By September 30, Ending 23-Year Military PresencePublished By :,Last Updated: August 13, 2026, 03:01 ISTThe deadline was confirmed on Wednesday by Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi’s office following his meeting with US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper.
(AFP file photo)The US is preparing to withdraw all its troops from Iraq by September 30, bringing an end to a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
Iraq Sets Final DeadlineAl-Zaidi said “October 1 will mark a new day in the trajectory of the Iraqi state, as Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence".
“The United States, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating ISIS and now the Iraqi security forces," the US official said.
The official added that Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other forces in the Kurdistan region, would now lead efforts to fight terrorist groups in the country.
News world US To Withdraw All Troops From Iraq By September 30, Ending 23-Year Military Presence
US To Withdraw All Troops From Iraq By September 30, Ending 23-Year Military Presence
Published By :
,
Last Updated: August 13, 2026, 03:01 IST
The deadline was confirmed on Wednesday by Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi’s office following his meeting with US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper.
A convoy of US military vehicles arrives near the Iraqi Kurdish town of Bardarash after withdrawing from northern Syria in 2021. (AFP file photo)
The US is preparing to withdraw all its troops from Iraq by September 30, bringing an end to a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
The deadline was confirmed on Wednesday by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office following his meeting with US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper. His office said the September 30 deadline for ending the US-led coalition’s military mission against Islamic State (ISIL) and completing the withdrawal of its forces was “fixed and final".
Iraq Sets Final Deadline
Al-Zaidi said “October 1 will mark a new day in the trajectory of the Iraqi state, as Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence".
The Iraqi prime minister’s office said Baghdad and Washington had reached a final agreement to end the coalition’s military mission in Iraq. It added that relations between the two countries would move towards cooperation in “economic, development, and security fields, based on mutual respect for sovereignty and the mutual interests of both countries".
Prime Minister @AliFalihAlzaidy met with Commander of U.S. @CENTCOM Admiral Charles Brad Cooper.During the meeting, Prime Minister Al-Zaidi reaffirmed the commitment to the agreed timelines, under which September 30 will be the fixed and final date for ending the military… https://t.co/tWXh6j9JEe — المكتب الإعلامي لرئيس الوزراء 🇮🇶 (@IraqiPMO) August 12, 2026
The US and Iraq agreed in 2024 to wind down the much smaller US-led military operations against Islamic State, years after the group lost most of its territory in Iraq.
US Mission Nears End
US troops withdrew from bases across most parts of Iraq last year but maintained a presence in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in the north.
A US official told the Los Angeles Times that Washington expected to complete the withdrawal by September 30, but did not disclose how many US troops remain in Iraq or where they would be sent next.
The remaining US presence has faced security challenges. Bases in the Kurdish region have come under repeated attacks since the US and Israel began their war with Iran on February 28.
“The United States, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating ISIS and now the Iraqi security forces," the US official said.
The official added that Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other forces in the Kurdistan region, would now lead efforts to fight terrorist groups in the country.
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First Published: August 13, 2026, 02:48 IST
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