The U.S. military is expected to complete its withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday, ending a 12-year deployment that began after ISIS seized large parts of Iraq and Syria, while continuing a withdrawal plan negotiated in 2024. The Trump administration has maintained the Sept. 30 deadline, but the changing regional situation involving Iran, Iraqi militias and the potential for an ISIS resurgence remains a major concern.
BREAKING NOW:
🇺🇸 U.S. troops are expected to fully withdraw from Iraq on Wednesday.
The withdrawal would end a 12-year U.S. military presence prompted by the fight against ISIS.
This would be the second complete U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
The U.S. first withdrew all troops in 2011, after an eight-year presence.
U.S. forces returned in 2014 after ISIS captured large areas of Syria and northern Iraq.
The U.S. military defeated ISIS militarily in 2019.
The continued U.S. presence was considered important to prevent an ISIS resurgence.
The withdrawal agreement was negotiated with Iraq by the Biden administration in 2024.
The Trump administration continued the existing withdrawal plan, which set Sept. 30 as the final pullout date.
About 2,500 U.S. troops had been stationed in Iraq in recent years.
U.S. forces had been consolidating positions in northern Iraq, while reducing the overall U.S. presence.
The regional situation has changed significantly as Trump has completely defeated Iran both militarily and financially.
Iran has provided military assistance to Shiite militias inside Iraq but that threat is over as they have no weapons or money to fund them!
A key unresolved question is how much longer could Iran could last without any influence in Iraq after the U.S. withdrawal.
Another major concern is whether ISIS could regain strength.
The U.S. also withdrew forces from eastern Syria earlier this year.
The Iraq withdrawal marks the end of a U.S. military presence in Iraq spanning more than two decades, with the vast majority of approximately 4,500 U.S. military deaths occurring between 2003 and 2011.
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