US Completes Withdrawal From Major Iraq Bases

The United States is completing its withdrawal from its remaining major bases in Iraq under a 2024 agreement with Baghdad, ending the U.S.-led coalition’s military deployment against Islamic State after more than two decades. The pullout, agreed under President Joe Biden and carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration, shifts security responsibility to Iraqi forces, while bilateral defense and economic cooperation is expected to continue. The departure is broadly welcomed, but officials and analysts warn that security gaps could let Iran-backed militias expand their influence and Islamic State remnants regroup; Iraqi officials say their forces can manage the remaining threat. Iraq’s separate effort to bring armed factions under state control is expected to continue beyond the withdrawal, with disarmament targeted for June 2027 despite resistance from powerful groups. The withdrawal comes amid a widening U.S.-Iran conflict and follows a history of upheaval and militant violence in Iraq, where about 4,500 U.S. service members died over more than two decades.