US Military to Exit Iraq by September End, Ending 23-Year Presence

The United States military will withdraw from Iraq by the end of September, according to announcements made by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the Pentagon on Tuesday (July 14, 2026). The departure marks the end of a 23-year presence in the country that began with the 2003 invasion and later focused on combating the Islamic State (IS) group.

Speaking at the White House alongside President Donald Trump, Prime Minister al-Zaidi stated through an interpreter that "U.S. forces will be out of Iraq" by September 30, while noting that American companies would remain active in the country. President Trump remarked that the relationship with Iraq is "a whole big relationship where we don’t need the military," adding that the US would still be available to help and protect if necessary.

The Pentagon issued a statement reaffirming a 2024 agreement with Iraq to conclude the mission against IS. Many of the approximately 2,500 US troops stationed in Iraq at the time of that agreement have already departed, leaving a small contingent of military advisers and support personnel. The United States has been transitioning responsibility for counter-IS operations to Iraqi forces trained by the US military.

The US invasion of Iraq in March 2003, launched under the premise of eliminating weapons of mass destruction, led to a prolonged military engagement. At the peak of counterinsurgency operations in 2007, US troop levels exceeded 1,70,000. After a drawdown under the Obama administration, combat troops withdrew in December 2011, leaving only a small security assistance office and embassy guards.

The rise of the Islamic State group in 2014 prompted the return of US and coalition forces at the request of the Iraqi government to help rebuild and retrain Iraqi military and police units. After IS lost its territorial control, coalition military operations ended in 2021, but a US training and advisory mission continued until the current withdrawal agreement.