BAGHDAD Aug 13, 2026 — The United States is on track to complete the full withdrawal of its remaining military forces from Iraq by September 30, 2026, marking the end of a continuous troop presence that began with the 2003 invasion of the country, U.S. and Iraqi officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper and reaffirmed that September 30 remains the “fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces.” A U.S. official separately confirmed the timeline, stating that American forces expect to complete the pullout by that date but declined to disclose the current number of troops remaining or their planned redeployment locations.
The move fulfills a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the U.S.-led coalition’s much smaller counter-Islamic State operations. U.S. troops had already withdrawn from most bases across Iraq last year, consolidating a limited presence primarily in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in the north. Those remaining positions have faced repeated attacks since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran in late February.
At the height of operations, U.S. forces in Iraq numbered in the tens of thousands. In recent years the contingent had been reduced to approximately 2,500 personnel focused on training and advising Iraqi forces. Once the final troops depart, Iraqi security forces—including the national army and the Kurdish Peshmerga—will assume full responsibility for counterterrorism operations against any remaining Islamic State elements.
The withdrawal is closely linked to Baghdad’s parallel demand that non-state armed groups surrender their weapons by the same September 30 deadline. Al-Zaidi has argued that once foreign forces leave, there will be “no justification” for any armed factions to operate outside state control.
The timeline was previously underscored in July when al-Zaidi met President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump said the United States no longer believed a military presence was necessary, while the Iraqi leader emphasized a shift toward economic partnership, stating that “U.S. forces will be out of Iraq” by September 30 “while U.S. companies will be inside Iraq.”
The departure closes a chapter that began with the toppling of Saddam Hussein more than two decades ago and later evolved into a prolonged counterinsurgency and training mission. Officials on both sides describe the transition as the culmination of successful efforts to degrade ISIS and build Iraqi capacity to secure the country independently.
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