Iraq has reached the end of an important era in its history on September 30, 2026. Ali al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, stated in a declaration: "October 1 will mark a new day in the path of the Iraqi government, with a country free from any foreign military presence and the completion of national sovereignty over its land."
Withdrawal of American Forces
According to an agreement signed in 2024, the United States will complete the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops from Iraqi soil by Wednesday. This withdrawal marks the end of 12 years of anti-ISIS operations known as "Operation Inherent Resolve," which began at the time of ISIS's advance in Iraq and Syria.
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The withdrawal of American forces also signifies the end of over two decades of U.S. military presence in Iraq. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, American forces left the country in 2011 and returned in 2014 to fight ISIS.
New Changes in Iraq's Security
However, the U.S. withdrawal does not mean the end of all foreign military deployments in Iraq. Turkey still has forces in Iraq and has recently announced that it will gradually hand over a military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad.
Ali al-Zaidi announced last week that the new deadline for controlling Iraqi armed groups has been extended to June 30, 2027. This plan includes a 90-day period during which armed groups will refrain from attacks in exchange for guarantees that American forces will not attack them.
However, not all armed groups are likely to follow this plan, and some powerful groups have so far shown reluctance to surrender their weapons to the government.
Yervand Said, an expert on Iraqi affairs, is concerned that vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including Christians and Yazidis, will be at greater risk starting October 1, 2026. He emphasized that the withdrawal of American forces marks the end of a period in which foreign presence acted as a security supporter.
Ultimately, U.S.-Iraq relations will shift towards new areas, including economic relations, and will no longer be focused on security issues.
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