Iraq: US troops withdraw from their Iraqi US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission against ISIS after 12 years as Baghdad delays militia disarmament

For Iraq's government in Baghdad, September 30, 2026, marks the end of an era. "October 1 will be a new day in the course of the Iraqi state, with the country free of any foreign military presence and the completion of national sovereignty over its territory," Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in a statement. The occasion will be celebrated as "Independence Day" with four official public holidays. By Wednesday, the United States will have completed the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops from Iraqi territory according to a 2024 agreement. Their departure concludes 12 years of the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission against the Islamic State group , or ISIS, which at the time was advancing across the country and in neighboring Syria.