US-led coalition completes Iraq withdrawal, transfers bases to Iraqi forces
Iraq announced Sunday that US-led coalition forces have fully withdrawn from all military bases in Iraq's federal territory, excluding the autonomous Kurdistan region. The military committee overseeing the coalition's mission said all advisers have left federal areas, with bases now under full control of Iraqi security forces. This marks the transition to bilateral security relations with the United States.
The withdrawal follows a 2024 deal between Baghdad and Washington to end the coalition's mission by end of 2025 in federal Iraq and by September 2026 in Kurdistan. Coalition forces had deployed in 2014 to fight IS, which seized large territories in Iraq and Syria before being territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively. While IS sleeper cells remain active, Iraq's forces are now "fully capable" of preventing the group's resurgence, according to the committee.
Coordination continues through Ain al-Assad base in Anbar province for cross-border support to operations in Syria, where IS remains a threat. A UN report in August noted IS is rebuilding networks along the Syrian border and restoring capacity in the Badia region. Recent IS attacks in Iraq have declined sharply, though the group maintains presence in mountainous areas.
With US troops gone from federal bases, will Iraq maintain security cooperation with Washington through bilateral channels, or will regional powers fill any emerging security vacuum?