US Withdraws Troops from Final Base in Iraq on September 30, Closing the Book on a Two-Decade War
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The US military is scheduled to withdraw its forces from its final base in Iraq by Wednesday, September 30, bringing an end to a military operation that lasted more than two decades and claimed the lives of 4,500 American troops. The withdrawal follows an agreement reached in 2024 under President Joe Biden, and the administration of President Donald Trump has carried it through to completion. Although most Iraqis are satisfied, many remain wary of the growth of Iran-backed armed groups and view the withdrawal as premature, believing Iraq is not fully ready to take responsibility for its own security. Meanwhile, Iraqi security officials, both in the central government and in the administration of the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north, share the concern that the American withdrawal could open the door for Islamic State, or ISIS, to revive and resume activity. Iran and its allies have celebrated the withdrawal as a historic victory. Jasim al-Bahadli, an Iraqi security analyst, commented that Iran will benefit strategically, since the move effectively removes the military force that had long counterbalanced Tehran's influence in Iraq. Amir Hayat Moghaddam, vice chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security Commission, said on Monday, September 28, that lasting security will come to Iraq as soon as American troops withdraw from the country and the region. Abu Mujtaba al-Yasiri, commander of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, praised the US withdrawal as a historic victory for the Islamic resistance movement in Iraq and for the honorable Iraqi people, as well as a crushing defeat for US plans.