Overview
- Iraqi officials told news agencies that the last U.S. combat and logistical forces departed at the end of September, completing the troop withdrawal set by a 2024 U.S.–Iraq agreement.
- About 2,500 U.S. personnel had been in Iraq as advisors and trainers before the exit, with remaining bases in Erbil, near Baghdad’s airport, and the Green Zone vacated as forces left.
- Kurdish leader Masrur Barsani called the pullout a 'shame' and said the Kurdistan region will be more exposed to the hundreds of rocket and drone strikes it suffered since February.
- Iraq postponed the planned disarmament and integration of powerful Iran‑aligned militias into state forces until June 2027, a delay that could leave armed groups able to expand political and military influence.
- Germany says some Bundeswehr personnel may remain in Erbil to train and protect local forces even as the multinational mission ends, while analysts warn the exit could strengthen Iran’s sway and leave IS cells and security gaps unresolved.