An Iraqi government source reported that the US military presence in the country has ended and all combat troops and support elements have left Iraqi territory.
If the statement is confirmed, a new era will come to an end in the US's military presence, which started with the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and continued for more than 20 years in different forms.
However, the US administration has not officially announced that the withdrawal has been fully completed as of September 28. Washington had previously announced that the process was planned to be completed by September 30.
According to the agreement reached between Washington and Baghdad, the military mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq was expected to end on September 30, 2026.
Iraqi authorities have emphasized in recent weeks that this date is "definite and final" and announced that the international coalition headquarters will be closed as of September 30.
Iraqi officials also stated that there were no foreign military bases left in the country and that security was completely under the control of Iraqi forces.
THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 2,500 US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ
The US military presence in Iraq has been significantly reduced in recent years, with approximately 2,500 American soldiers remaining in the country.
While a significant portion of these units provided training, consultancy and intelligence support to Iraqi security forces, the remaining elements were stationed at bases within the borders of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government.
In the last stage, the USA began to withdraw its troops and defense systems from Erbil. Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji announced that all US personnel and defense systems in Erbil would leave the country by September 30.
The USA and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew Saddam Hussein's administration.
The majority of American combat troops withdrew from the country in 2011. However, after the terrorist organization ISIS captured a large region in Iraq and Syria, US soldiers returned to Iraq in 2014 at the request of the Baghdad administration.
The US-led international coalition supported Iraqi forces in operations against ISIS. All of the lands declared by the organization as the "caliphate" in Iraq were taken back in 2017.
NEW ERA IN US-IRAQ RELATIONS
The military withdrawal does not mean a complete end to security relations between Washington and Baghdad.
The Iraqi government had announced that after the withdrawal, cooperation with coalition countries would continue in areas such as intelligence sharing, military training and weapons programs.
The United States also defines the withdrawal as a "transition process" linked to the increasing capacity of Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga.
The withdrawal of US troops comes at a time when discussions about the future of pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq continue.
While the Baghdad administration argues that all weapons in the country should be taken under state control, some pro-Iran groups resist disarmament. Some of these groups call for a complete end to U.S. military and political influence, according to Reuters.
US forces and armed groups close to Iran have clashed many times in recent years, and American bases in Iraq have been the target of rocket and drone attacks.
