The United States has formally concluded its military presence in Iraq, pulling out the last remaining service members more than two decades after the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and set off years of insurgency and sectarian bloodshed. The final withdrawal, confirmed on September 30, 2026, closes a chapter that reshaped both nations and left a lasting imprint on the Middle East.
The departure unfolded in stages. Earlier this year, U.S. forces withdrew from central and southern Iraq, leaving roughly 1,500 troops stationed in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north. Those final personnel have now left the country, according to reporting from NPR's Jane Arraf in Baghdad.
The 2003 invasion, launched by a U.S.-led coalition, quickly removed Saddam's government but unleashed a violent insurgency and a civil war that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of American troops. The conflict also created space for Iranian influence to deepen across Iraq's political and security institutions—an outcome U.S. officials have spent years trying to counter.
Speaking from the capital, where billboards now carry Arabic slogans about reclaiming national decision-making and building the homeland, residents are confronting a future without a major American military footprint. The mood reflects a mix of relief and uncertainty after decades of foreign troop presence.
The withdrawal is not the first time U.S. forces have pulled back. In 2011, the Obama administration ended its combat mission and removed most troops, only to send them back in 2014 to help fight the Islamic State group after it seized large swaths of Iraqi territory. That renewed mission evolved into a long-term advisory and training role.
The remaining 1,500 troops in the Kurdish region had been tasked with supporting local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations. Their departure leaves Iraq's military and the Kurdish Peshmerga to manage security threats largely on their own, though Washington is expected to maintain a diplomatic and intelligence presence in the country.
Iran's influence remains a central concern. Tehran has cultivated powerful militias and political allies in Baghdad, and Iraqi leaders continue to navigate a delicate balance between their ties to Washington and their proximity to Iran. The U.S. withdrawal could accelerate that tilt, analysts warn, even as Iraqi officials insist they are charting an independent course.
The pullout also comes as the broader region shifts. As the U.S. signals a smaller military footprint in the Middle East, other powers—notably Turkey—are positioning themselves to fill the vacuum. Ankara has deepened its economic and security engagement with Baghdad and the Kurdish region, seeking to expand its role as a regional broker.
The human and financial costs of the American intervention have been staggering. The war in Iraq has been estimated to have cost the United States trillions of dollars, and the human toll includes hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, millions of displaced Iraqis, and deep wounds that remain unhealed.
For Iraq's government, the end of the U.S. military presence is both a symbolic milestone and a test of sovereignty. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's administration has faced pressure from factions loyal to Iran to expedite the withdrawal, while also seeking to preserve cooperation with Washington on counterterrorism and economic development.
American officials have framed the exit as a transition rather than a retreat. The U.S. is expected to continue training Iraqi forces remotely, sharing intelligence, and supporting efforts to prevent a resurgence of ISIS. But the absence of troops on the ground will inevitably reduce Washington's day-to-day leverage in Iraqi affairs.
The withdrawal could also affect the roughly 2,500 U.S. personnel stationed in neighboring Syria, where American forces work with Kurdish-led fighters against ISIS remnants. Without a logistical and operational hub in Iraq, sustaining that mission becomes more complicated, though U.S. officials have said they are exploring alternative arrangements.
Public opinion in Iraq remains divided. Some Iraqis view the American departure as the removal of a destabilizing foreign force, while others worry that it leaves a security vacuum that militias and insurgent groups could exploit. In Baghdad's Saadoun Square, the billboard slogan "Reclaiming the decision and building the home" captures the nationalist sentiment that has gained ground.
For veterans of the war and the families of those who served, the final withdrawal brings a complex mix of emotions. The conflict claimed more than 4,400 American lives and left many more wounded, while Iraqi casualties were far higher. The strategic outcome—a stable, democratic Iraq free of Iranian domination—remains incomplete.
What comes next will depend largely on whether Iraq's security forces can prevent a militant resurgence and whether Iraqi politicians can manage their external allegiances without provoking internal strife. The U.S. departure removes a flashpoint but also a buffer, leaving Iraq's future in the hands of its own leaders and the regional powers vying for influence.
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