US troops set to leave Iraq by September 30 deadline

• US forces are expected to leave their remaining Iraqi bases by Wednesday, September 30; the withdrawal was still under way on Tuesday.
• The coalition mission’s end does not mean every foreign military presence in Iraq is ending: Turkey still has bases in the north.
• Iraqi security figures warn that losing US intelligence, logistics and drone support could give Islamic State sleeper cells room to regroup.
• A separate deadline to bring armed factions’ weapons under state control has moved to June 30, 2027.

The US-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq is scheduled to end on September 30. Reuters reported on Tuesday that US forces were set to leave their last bases by Wednesday; it did not report that the departure was complete.¹

The deadline closes a long, interrupted military presence. US forces invaded Iraq in 2003, withdrew at the end of 2011, then returned in 2014 to help Iraqi forces fight Islamic State. Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 on a two-stage transition from the coalition mission towards bilateral security ties.¹²

The immediate question is what support Iraqi forces will lose with the coalition’s departure. Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani told Reuters that a lack of US intelligence, logistics and drones could help Islamic State regroup. Iraqi security officials also told Reuters they believed a suspected Islamic State cell was preparing suicide attacks to coincide with the withdrawal. Those are reported warnings and allegations, not proof that the departure has caused a security vacuum or a resurgence.¹

Baghdad says Iraqi and Kurdish forces are capable of managing security after the coalition leaves. Iraqi officials have also said intelligence and information-sharing with coalition countries can continue through bilateral arrangements. That would preserve some cooperation, but it is distinct from the coalition’s military mission.²³

Nor does the deadline settle the separate question of armed groups inside Iraq. The target for bringing their weapons under state control has been pushed to June 30, 2027 — nine months after the coalition’s scheduled exit.⁴

Iraqi military spokesperson Sabah al-Numan has said the country will have no foreign troops or bases after the withdrawal. But the statement needs a narrower reading: the Associated Press reported on September 24 that Turkey maintains several bases in northern Iraq and has agreed to a gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan camp, not an immediate departure from all its positions.⁵⁶

Footnotes

1. Reuters, “US forces exit Iraq after two decades, leaving opening for Iran”, September 29, 2026 ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Deutsche Welle, “Iraq: US troops exit as Baghdad delays militia disarmament”, September 29, 2026 ↩ ↩²

3. Anadolu Agency, “Iraq says coalition headquarters to close by Sept. 30, citing stable security”, September 26, 2026 ↩

4. 964 Media, “Zaidi pushes weapons deadline nine months, to June 2027”, September 22, 2026 ↩

5. Al-Video News Agency, “The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief announces that Iraq is free of foreign military bases”, September 28, 2026 ↩

6. Associated Press, “Turkey will hand over key base in Iraq in a gradual troop withdrawal deal”, September 24, 2026 ↩