Illustrative image. (Cpl. Gabino Perez/Marine Corps)
The United States and its coalition partners have formally concluded their military mission in Iraq after 12 years of operations against ISIS, marking the end of Operation Inherent Resolve and the transition to a bilateral security relationship between Washington and Baghdad.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the conclusion was consistent with the September 2024 U.S.-Iraq joint statement and American national interests.
He said the “orderly departure” of coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marked the “successful conclusion” of the mission.
“This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat” in Iraq and across the region, Parnell added.
He noted that the end of the coalition mission “marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship.”
Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other forces in the Kurdistan region, would take the lead in maintaining security and keeping ISIS remnants suppressed, according to Parnell, who stressed that the Pentagon will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners.
“The primary responsibility for addressing Iraq’s remaining security challenges,” including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias, now rests with the Iraqi government, Parnell said.
He added that the U.S. remains committed to counterterrorism efforts and to preventing ISIS from re-establishing itself from Iraqi territory.
Parnell also said Washington supports a “strong sovereign Iraq” capable of securing its borders and protecting its population, describing that as the foundation for deeper commercial, diplomatic and security cooperation between the two countries.
Separately, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces and equipment had completed their departure from Erbil Air Base. The command said the move was part of a planned transition to a U.S.-Iraq bilateral defense relationship.
The Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve remains operational from Jordan, while U.S. forces continue the counter-ISIS mission in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government, according to CENTCOM.
The coalition was formed in 2014 after ISIS seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and its partners provided Iraqi forces with air support, intelligence and training during the campaign that ultimately ended ISIS’ territorial control in Iraq. Baghdad announced in December 2017 that Iraqi forces had regained full control of territory seized by the group.
The withdrawal fulfills a timetable agreed by Baghdad and Washington in September 2024, under which the coalition’s military mission in Iraq was to end by September 30, 2026, followed by a transition to bilateral security relations.
For Iran and its allies, the U.S. withdrawal is a victory because it removes an American military presence that had served for years as a counterweight to Tehran’s influence in Iraq. Iran-backed armed factions had repeatedly demanded the departure of U.S. forces.
An Iraqi commander from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq described the withdrawal a day earlier as “a historic victory” and “a crushing defeat for the American project,” according to Reuters.
Iranian officials have also publicly welcomed the departure, while the withdrawal has been celebrated by Iran-aligned factions as a major step toward eliminating the U.S. military presence from Iraq and, more broadly, the region.
The end of the coalition mission therefore leaves Iraq closer to Iran. At the same time, it grants the U.S. the ability to take stronger military actions against factions allied to the Islamic Republic there.
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