BAGHDAD — The United States military has formally completed the final withdrawal of its combat forces and military personnel from Iraq, closing an epochal chapter of international military presence that spanned more than twenty-three years across the Middle East.
The departure, confirmed Wednesday morning by defense officials in Washington and Baghdad, fulfills the bilateral transition timeline established under the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission. The final cohort of approximately 1,500 personnel stationed at Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Anbar province and the military compound at Erbil International Airport completed their departure, relocating their operational footprint to regional facilities in Jordan.
Full Operational Transfer to Iraqi Armed Forces
Iraqi military leadership confirmed that all joint operations centers, radar stations, and logistics hangars previously administered by the US-led coalition under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) have been fully transferred to sovereign Iraqi military control.
“The Iraqi Armed Forces and our specialized counter-terrorism commands possess the complete institutional capability, intelligence infrastructure, and operational readiness to protect Iraqi airspace and secure our national borders,” said an Iraqi military spokesperson in Baghdad.
The strategic exit follows high-level diplomatic deliberations on sovereignty and regional stability, which also featured prominently in bilateral discussions at the United Nations General Assembly among global leaders.
Two Decades of Military Footprint
The formal exit marks the conclusion of an era that began with the March 2003 military campaign that toppled Saddam Hussein. While combat forces originally withdrew in 2011, US forces returned in 2014 at the invitation of the Iraqi government to lead international coalition operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group.
Defense analysts note that while tactical ground operations have ceased inside Iraqi borders, Washington and Baghdad will maintain a bilateral strategic security dialogue focused on intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism advisory assistance, and pilot training under standard bilateral diplomatic treaties.
Regional Geopolitical Impact
The completion of the troop withdrawal represents a significant milestone in Middle Eastern geopolitical dynamics. Regional governments and strategic observers in Washington, Tehran, and Riyadh are closely assessing the shift in power architecture across the Tigris-Euphrates basin.
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that ongoing regional stabilization efforts and advisory functions for counter-extremism missions across the Levant will henceforth be coordinated through operational hubs in Jordan and the wider Gulf region.