Final US Troops Leave Iraq After 12-Year ISIS Mission

The last U.S. troops and military equipment have departed Erbil Air Base, completing the us troops iraq withdrawal and formally ending the 12-year American military mission against ISIS. The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that the final personnel left by end of day, closing the Iraq chapter of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led campaign launched when ISIS swept across northern Iraq in the summer of 2014.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the “orderly departure” of coalition forces and equipment marked the “successful conclusion” of the mission that defeated ISIS as an organized military force.

“This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region,” Parnell said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The Final Day of a 12-Year Mission

Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region served as the main hub for the combined task force and hosted most of the roughly 1,500 American and coalition personnel supporting counter-ISIS operations. U.S. and coalition forces began leaving federal Iraq in 2025, and Wednesday’s final removal of personnel and equipment from Erbil completed the transition.

The withdrawal followed the September 2024 joint U.S.-Iraq statement, which set the timeline for the coalition’s departure.

Timeline of the 12-Year Anti-ISIS Mission

• June 2014: Operation Inherent Resolve begins after ISIS seizes large areas of Iraq and Syria.
• August 2014: The U.S. launches airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq, marking America’s return to the country after the 2011 troop withdrawal.
• 2016–2017: Coalition-backed Iraqi and Kurdish forces retake key cities, including Mosul. The territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq is declared in December 2017.
• March 2019: ISIS loses its last territorial stronghold in Syria, ending the so-called caliphate.
• December 2021: The U.S. ends its combat mission in Iraq, shifting to an advisory role.
• September 2024: Washington and Baghdad announce a joint timeline for winding down the coalition mission.
• 2025: U.S. forces withdraw from Baghdad and other key military bases in Iraq.
• September 30, 2026: Final U.S. and coalition personnel depart Erbil Air Base, ending the mission.

What the Withdrawal Means

The conclusion shifts the mission from a wartime coalition to an Iraqi-led security effort under “a more normal bilateral security relationship,” as the Pentagon describes it.

According to the Pentagon, 123 U.S. troops were killed during the mission and another 499 were wounded. A coalition estimate put the number of ISIS members killed at more than 80,000.

What Stays: Training and Intelligence Support

The U.S. is not severing its security partnership with Iraq. The Pentagon said it will continue providing “targeted training and intelligence support” to Iraqi partners.

• Training: U.S. forces will continue advising and training Iraqi Security Forces.
• Intelligence: Counterterrorism intelligence sharing with Baghdad will continue.
• Syria: The coalition task force is moving its headquarters to Jordan, and operations against ISIS remnants in Syria continue.

“We expect the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, to lead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep ISIS remnants suppressed,” Parnell said.

Reactions

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi presided over a handover ceremony, celebrating the development as marking the successful conclusion of the international effort against ISIS.

However, not all regional commanders are confident. Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani told Reuters that a lack of U.S. intelligence, logistical support, and drones could give ISIS a chance to regroup.

“For more than two weeks, we have noticed movement by ISIS sleeper cells, after it was announced in the general media that there will be an official withdrawal of the international coalition from Iraq by the end of September,” Barzani said. “This has boosted, in my opinion, the morale” of the fighters.

What’s Next

Washington says it will work with Baghdad to ensure ISIS “can never reconstitute from Iraqi territory,” while Baghdad takes the lead against both ISIS remnants and the Iran-aligned militias challenging its authority.

FAQ

How long were U.S. troops in Iraq fighting ISIS?

Twelve years. Operation Inherent Resolve began in June 2014 and concluded with the final departure from Erbil Air Base on September 30, 2026.

How many U.S. troops were killed in the anti-ISIS mission?

According to the Pentagon, 123 U.S. troops were killed during the mission and another 499 were wounded.

Is the U.S. leaving Iraq completely?

The military mission has ended, but the U.S. will maintain a bilateral security relationship with Iraq, providing training and intelligence support rather than deploying combat forces.

What happens to the fight against ISIS in Syria?

Operations in Syria continue. The coalition task force is relocating its headquarters to Jordan as the Iraq phase ends.