{"id":2673064,"date":"2026-09-30T08:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-announces-all-forces-withdrawn-from-iraq-after-12-year-anti-isis-mission\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T09:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:02:22","slug":"us-announces-all-forces-withdrawn-from-iraq-after-12-year-anti-isis-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-announces-all-forces-withdrawn-from-iraq-after-12-year-anti-isis-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"US announces all forces withdrawn from Iraq after 12-year anti-ISIS mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fus-announces-all-forces-withdrawn-from-iraq-after-12-year-anti-isis-mission%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2673064&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the United States has officially ended its military presence in Iraq after 23 years, concluding Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS mission that began in 2011. The final U.S. troops and equipment left Erbil Air Base in Iraq&#8217;s Kurdish region, marking a significant milestone in the two-decade-long conflict.This withdrawal, resulting from a 2024 agreement with Baghdad, signifies a shift from a wartime coalition to Iraq taking primary duty for its security, although the U.S. will continue to offer training and intelligence support. The move reflects the defeat of ISIS as a major threat and a transition toward Iraq&#8217;s sovereignty, tho challenges remain with Iran-backed militias and regional tensions. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi officially oversaw the handover, framing it as a victory over extremism and emphasizing Iraq&#8217;s independence and future stability. Despite the victory, concerns persist over militia disarmament and regional security, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-arrests-prominent-hamas-commander\/\" title=\"Israel arrests prominent Hamas commander\">amid ongoing threats<\/a> from Iran and its backed groups, and also the presence of residual instability and political challenges within Iraq. The U.S. involvement had peaked with 150,000 troops in 2003,but gradually reduced over the years,especially after the surge in 2007,the official exit in 2011,and renewed support during the rise of ISIS in 2014. the final withdrawal occurs amid ongoing regional instability, military attacks, and complex geopolitics involving Iran, Kurdish forces, and Iraqi authorities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States announced the end of its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iraq-war\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1072\">military presence in Iraq<\/a> after 23 years on Wednesday, ending one of the U.S.\u2019s most controversial military adventures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final U.S. troops and equipment departed Erbil Air Base in the country\u2019s northeast autonomous Kurdish region, War Department Spokesman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.war.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/4614195\/statement-by-chief-pentagon-spokesman-sean-parnell-on-the-conclusion-of-the-us\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.war.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/4614195\/statement-by-chief-pentagon-spokesman-sean-parnell-on-the-conclusion-of-the-us\/\">Sean Parnell announced<\/a>. He said the \u201corderly departure\u201d concludes Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, the 12-year anti-ISIS mission that triggered a surge in U.S. troops to assist Baghdad after it faced collapse in the face of a supercharged jihadi insurgency, in a successful manner.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-4684e04c-05bd-4b89-a9ae-c88cb09121ca-style\">@scope (#mos-4684e04c-05bd-4b89-a9ae-c88cb09121ca) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we-grid {     grid-template-columns: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-4684e04c-05bd-4b89-a9ae-c88cb09121ca-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-4684e04c-05bd-4b89-a9ae-c88cb09121ca) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-4684e04c-05bd-4b89-a9ae-c88cb09121ca\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Iraqi security officers flash victory signs while riding in vehicles decorated with national flags during a convoy celebrating the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Hadi Mizban)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/09\/localimages\/AP26273349168188.jpg?w=696&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/09\/localimages\/AP26273349168188.jpg?w=696&#8243; alt=&#8221;Iraq withdrawal&#8221; class=&#8221;wp-image-4747964&#8243;  ><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Iraqi security officers flash victory signs while riding in vehicles decorated with national flags during a convoy celebrating the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Hadi Mizban)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region. It also marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship,\u201d Parnell said in a statement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the Pentagon would \u201ccontinue to provide training and intelligence to support our Iraqi partners,\u201d and said the U.S. would \u201cexpect\u201d Iraqi Security Forces to \u201clead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep ISIS remnants suppressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe primary responsibility for addressing Iraq\u2019s remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias that undermine Iraqi sovereignty and regional stability, now rests with the Government of Iraq,\u201d Parnell said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The withdrawal came as the result of a September 2024 deal with Baghdad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, 3,481 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq since the launching of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 20, 2003, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/dcas.dmdc.osd.mil\/dcas\/conflictCasualties\/oif\/deathsAll\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/dcas.dmdc.osd.mil\/dcas\/conflictCasualties\/oif\/deathsAll\">according to<\/a> the Defense Casualty Analysis System, with another 937 \u201cnon-hostile\u201d U.S. deaths.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi presided over a handover ceremony, and celebrated the development as marking the successful conclusion of the international effort combatting ISIS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe announce the end of the mission of the international coalition fighting ISIS, demonstrating that cooperation between friendly forces and friendly peoples has produced victory over one of the darkest chapters of extremism and brutality in history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe mission has concluded in victory, and the responsibility for protecting this victory falls today on all our shoulders,\u201d al Zaidi added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He extended his \u201cthanks and appreciation\u201d to the U.S. forces and other members of the international coalition, concluding the controversial U.S. presence on a positive note.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The withdrawal of U.S. forces, he said, began a \u201cnew phase, one defined by Iraq\u2019s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prime minister and commander in chief then shifted to the next battle to conclude his speech, turning to the fraught issue of disarming Iran-backed militias. He said there should be \u201cno weapon outside the umbrella of the law, and no force outside the state\u2019s institutions, in accordance with the constitution and what our wise religious authority has called for, and what our people desire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. withdrew without a firm resolution on militia disarmament. Iraq was saved from an ISIS takeover largely due to the mobilization of tens of thousands of Shiite fighters, but after the defeat of the caliphate, they retained their formations and became a parallel state. Al Zaidi has made disarmament a priority, but he has few avenues to accomplish this. Baghdad first set a deadline of Sept. 30 for the disarmament of all nonstate armed groups, but the date has come without much movement. The prime minister has since pushed back the deadline, telling the <em>New York Times<\/em> earlier this month that the new deadline is June 2027.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The militias haven\u2019t been encouraging in their rhetoric. Abu Mujahid al Assaf, a security official with Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-backed militias, responded to the U.S. withdrawal by celebrating and issuing a barely-veiled threat to overthrow al Zaidi.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe expulsion of the occupation forces, defeated, from the land of Iraq is the beginning of full sovereignty,\u201d he said in a statement, then warned the prime minister not to carry out any U.S. plans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAny government that does not work for the benefit of the people will be overthrown by all means,\u201d al Assaf added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S.\u2019s Kurdish allies are also in an uneasy position. The Kurdish regional government\u2019s Peshmerga Ministry said it had come under attack from over 1,000 drones and ballistic missiles from Iran and its militias in the war, and that the U.S. withdrawal, \u201cunder these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time of the withdrawal, the U.S. presence in Iraq was a far cry from the 150,000 U.S. soldiers who poured into Iraq beginning on March 20, 2003 to topple the government of Saddam Hussein. While the initial invasion was highly successful, toppling the beleaguered government with minimal losses, the U.S. soon found itself facing a resentful populace and a spiraling sectarian civil war, pitting largely Iran-backed Shiite militias against Sunni terrorist groups and militias.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. presence in Iraq peaked in late 2007 during the Iraq War troop surge, when President George W. Bush sent more troops into the country to deal with the growing insurgency. President Barack Obama withdrew the vast majority of U.S. troops in 2011, officially ending the Iraq War but keeping hundreds of U.S. troops for security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The situation changed once again in 2014, when ISIS took advantage of weakened central authority in Baghdad and the civil war in neighboring Syria to create its own caliphate spanning the two countries. After a series of crushing losses, the U.S. sent thousands of soldiers back into Iraq in a supporting role to assist the government. The effort was paralleled by a mobilization of Iran-backed militias, which ultimately defeated the physical caliphate in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4746932\/iranian-rial-all-time-low-economy-free-fall-iran-central-bank-inflation-down-a-percent\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4746932\">IRANIAN RIAL HITS ALL-TIME LOW AS ECONOMY CONTINUES FREE FALL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. retained a sizable presence both to ensure that ISIS didn\u2019t reclaim the advantage and to keep the massive Iran-backed militias in check. The U.S. bases came under repeated attack from these militias over the years, and by the time of the full withdrawal, were viewed as an increasing liability given the vulnerability of the bases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The impending U.S. withdrawal was known for some time, but the final departure came with noticeably little fanfare in the U.S. The departure was overshadowed by the continued war with Iran, which is locked in a stalemate. U.S. forces in Iraq had been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed forces throughout the war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. ends 23-year military presence in Iraq, troops depart<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2673065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26273349168188.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[86493,50462,17259,69722,36116],"class_list":["post-2673064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-anti-isis-mission","tag-foreign-policy-2","tag-iraq","tag-military-withdrawal","tag-us-forces"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26273349168188.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2673064"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2673068,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673064\/revisions\/2673068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2673065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2673064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2673064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2673064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}