End of US-led coalition mission brings public celebrations, while concerns persist over militias and the possibility of an Islamic State resurgence
BAGHDAD: Iraqis took to the streets on Wednesday to celebrate the departure of the remaining US forces, formally bringing the US-led coalition’s military mission in the country to an end after more than two decades of conflict and intervention.
The final American troops, most of whom had been stationed at an airbase in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Erbil, left Iraq as part of the previously agreed withdrawal process.
Iraqi soldiers marked the occasion with parades in Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf, while residents expressed relief over the end of the foreign military presence.
However, the withdrawal has also raised concerns about Iraq’s future security, particularly the influence of Iran-backed armed groups and the possibility that Islamic State could exploit any security gaps following the coalition’s departure.
Residents Welcome Withdrawal, Call for State Control of Weapons
In Baghdad, 70-year-old resident Ahmed Salah described the withdrawal as a source of happiness but said armed groups operating beyond government control should now surrender their weapons.
He argued that responsibility for maintaining national security should rest with the Iraqi state.
The US military presence in Iraq began with the 2003 invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power. American troops withdrew in 2011 but returned less than three years later after Islamic State seized extensive territory across Iraq and established its rule in several areas.
More than 4,500 US military personnel were killed in Iraq during the conflict. The Iraq Body Count project estimates that more than 200,000 Iraqi civilians also lost their lives.
The latest withdrawal arrangement was agreed in 2024 under former US president Joe Biden and completed during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump Calls Withdrawal a ‘Victory’
Trump described the completion of the withdrawal as a victory for both countries, arguing that Islamic State had been defeated and that the time had come for US forces to return home.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, meanwhile, said the conclusion of the international coalition mission did not signal an end to Iraq’s counterterrorism efforts.
Instead, he described it as the beginning of a new phase in which Iraq would assume full responsibility for maintaining its own security and stability.
Iran-Backed Militias Mark US Departure
Hundreds of supporters of Iran-backed Iraqi militias also gathered in Baghdad to celebrate the withdrawal.
Demonstrators chanted anti-American slogans and carried portraits of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba and General Qassem Soleimani.
The departure closes a major chapter in Iraq’s recent history, but questions remain over how the country will manage its security environment without the US-led coalition mission and whether the Iraqi state can maintain control amid competing armed and political forces.
