📰 4 sources 10 articles · 28 Sep 2026, 21:06 → 14 days ago

Completion of the US withdrawal from Iraq and regional reactions

This story follows the completion of the withdrawal of US forces from their last bases in Iraq by 30 September 2026, under a preliminary agreement with Baghdad reached in 2024, and the end of the international coalition's Operation Inherent Resolve. It was accompanied by fears of a security vacuum that ISIS or Iran-backed factions could exploit, along with an official Iranian welcome and mixed political reactions.

📍 Where things stand: The US withdrawal from Iraq was completed on 30 September 2026 and the end of Operation Inherent Resolve was officially announced, amid an Iranian welcome and warnings of a security vacuum and competition for influence in the country.

⏱️ Timeline

28 Sep 2026, 21:06 As the date of the US withdrawal from Iraq approached at the end of September, the Kurdistan Region prepared for the post-withdrawal phase amid fears of Iranian threats, factions loyal to Tehran, a possible return of ISIS activity, and the future of military support for the Peshmerga forces. According to the Jerusalem Post, the withdrawal will include the Kurdistan Region, where US forces are stationed in Erbil and another site, while the US presence will continue through a large consulate in Erbil.
29 Sep 2026, 15:52 Reuters reported that the United States will withdraw from its last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, after more than two decades of war in which 4,500 Americans were killed in Sunni areas of Iraq. The withdrawal, due to be completed by 30 September 2026 under a preliminary 2024 agreement with Baghdad, comes amid a direct war between Washington and Tehran, fears of the expansion of Iran's influence and of factions loyal to it, and fears that ISIS could exploit any security vacuum, in addition to concerns that Kurdish allies could be attacked. Tehran and factions loyal to it consider the withdrawal a strategic victory, while reports indicated that the US military will announce the completion of the withdrawal of its last remaining forces after more than a decade of supporting Iraqi forces in the war against ISIS.
30 Sep 2026, 08:11 US forces completed their withdrawal from their remaining bases in Iraq, closing a military chapter that lasted more than 23 years and cost 1.7 trillion dollars, amid warnings of a security vacuum that Iran-backed factions or ISIS could exploit.
30 Sep 2026, 21:48 The Pentagon officially announced the completion of the US army's withdrawal from Iraq and the end of Operation Inherent Resolve, following an orderly exit of coalition forces and their equipment from Erbil Air Base. US President Donald Trump welcomed the step, describing it as a "great day for America" and the end of a "very costly adventure", and praising Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who announced the start of "a new phase titled Iraq's sovereignty". The Pentagon affirmed that Washington will continue to provide targeted training.
1 Oct 2026, 13:26 Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt raised, in a post on X, the issue of the US withdrawal from Iraq, linking it to what he described as "illusions of sovereignty and stability", without providing further details or an explicit clarification of his position on the withdrawal.
1 Oct 2026, 18:17 US President Donald Trump revealed that he played a political role in supporting Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falah al-Zaidi before he assumed the premiership, affirming that he backed his candidacy from the outset and gave him public support during the political competition. His remarks come in parallel with the announcement of the completion of the US forces' withdrawal from Iraq and the end of the international coalition's mission against ISIS, and a transition to a new phase of security relations between Baghdad and Washington.
3 Oct 2026, 10:40 The commander of Iran's Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, described the US withdrawal from Iraq, completed on 30 September, as a "humiliating expulsion operation", demanding the expulsion of what remains of the US presence. However, Iran faces a difficult task in converting this withdrawal into permanent influence and reviving its allied militias without triggering instability, especially after a year of war that weakened its regional network and military capabilities.
4 Oct 2026, 10:05 Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed in a statement the exit of US forces and all other foreign forces from Iraq, describing the step as "highly important" for consolidating national sovereignty and Iraq's territorial unity. The statement held the US military presence and its allies responsible for spreading violence and divisions, referring to major human and material losses since the 2003 invasion, and called for holding Washington accountable for the "crimes" committed.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Duration of the US military presence in Iraq

after 12 years according to Al-Monitor
more than 23 years according to Lebanon Debate

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Coverage angles varied: one source focused on the Kurdistan Region's preparations and security concerns, another on the timing of the withdrawal and the number of US deaths citing Reuters, while a broadly covering source followed the sequence of completion announcements and political reactions including Trump's remarks, Jumblatt's position and the Iranian welcome, and another source focused on the regional security context, Iranian influence and Qaani's positions.

lebanondebate.com It opened with a report on the Kurdistan Region's preparations for the post-withdrawal phase, citing the Jerusalem Post that the withdrawal includes Erbil and another site and that the US presence will continue through a large consulate in Erbil, focusing on fears of Iranian threats, factions loyal to Tehran, ISIS, and the future of Peshmerga support.
المترجم احمد المقادمة It presented a report attributed to Reuters focusing on the timing of the withdrawal from the last bases by Wednesday, and on the figure of 4,500 Americans killed over more than two decades in Sunni areas of Iraq.
Lebanon Debate It covered the sequence of the event from the preliminary 2024 agreement to completion, highlighting the cost of the war (1.7 trillion dollars and more than 23 years), the Pentagon's announcement of the end of Operation Inherent Resolve, Trump's remarks about a "great day for America" and the end of a "very costly adventure" and his praise of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, in addition to Walid Jumblatt's post and the Iranian statement of welcome.
Al-Monitor It focused on the regional security context and its reshaping, linking the withdrawal to the 2024 agreement with Baghdad and to fears of attacks on Kurdish allies and the expansion of Iranian influence, and later addressed Iran's gains and Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani's description of the withdrawal as a "humiliating expulsion operation".