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US military completes withdrawal of troops from Iraq after 12-year mission

9/30/2026

The US military has completed the withdrawal of American forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in Iraq, US Central Command announced Wednesday.

This final departure ends the Operation Inherent Resolve mission in the country, a U.S.-led campaign launched against ISIS in 2014.

The move shifts primary security responsibility for Iraq to Iraqi forces, while the broader counter-ISIS campaign continues elsewhere in the region.

Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, stated that ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq's national security.