Iraq Braces for Final US Troop Exit as Security Fears Mount
US troops are set to complete their withdrawal from northern Iraq by September 30, as Iraqis debate security and economic fallout.
The United States military is set to conclude its decades-long presence in Iraq, with the last remaining troops stationed in the country's north due to leave by a September 30 deadline.
With the pullout under way, Iraqi military officials have struck a confident tone. Maj. Gen. Tahseen al Khafaji, director of Media and Moral Guidance at the Ministry of Defense, said the date marks a turning point rather than a repeat of past crises. He pointed to border reconstruction, an economic cycle driven by investing companies, a large deployment of security forces and intelligence units, and progress in arming, equipping and unifying security decision-making.
On the streets of Baghdad, however, the mood is more measured. Billboards across the capital carry a message tied to the withdrawal: "We will regain the decision and rebuild our country."
Resident Saif Ali noted that the coalition's departure comes with conditions attached, including the disarmament of armed factions. He warned that a failure by the government to honour agreed terms could expose Iraq to economic obstacles, adding that for many people the economy now matters more than security.
Others are focused on the threat posed by the Islamic State group. Falah Mohammed cited what he described as an evident security breach in Kirkuk governorate, which coincided with Sovereignty Day and the September 30 date marking the exit of the last International Coalition soldier. He called on authorities to review security and intelligence plans and step up efforts, particularly in fragile areas that have seen terrorist operations.
On Sunday, Iraqi counter-terrorism services clashed with IS members in the town of Altun Kopri in northern Kirkuk, killing two of the militants.
The Iraqi government has linked the US withdrawal to an ultimatum for militias to lay down their weapons, but most have indicated they have no plans to do so, leaving open questions about what the day after the withdrawal will look like.
US troops first invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein and departed in 2011. Three years later, Iraqi authorities invited a smaller US-led mission to fight the Islamic State, which had seized large swaths of territory. With the extremist group now reduced to scattered sleeper cells, Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind the mission down. US troops left bases in most areas of Iraq last year but maintained a presence in the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region.