Iraq says September 30 withdrawal deadline for US-led coalition ‘final’

What the report says

Iraq has described September 30 as the “fixed and final” deadline for ending the US-led coalition’s military mission in the country and completing the withdrawal of its forces, according to Al Jazeera’s report on Wednesday. The announcement followed a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and US Central Command Commander Gen. Brad Cooper, with the prime minister’s office saying both sides agreed to the timeline.

A US official also told The Associated Press that Washington expects the pullout to be completed by September 30, although the official did not say how many troops remain or where they will go. Al Jazeera reported that the remaining US presence is concentrated in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, after US troops withdrew from most other bases last year.

The planned departure would close a long chapter in Iraq’s security relationship with Washington. US forces first entered Iraq in 2003, later returned in 2014 at Baghdad’s request during the fight against ISIL, and coalition combat operations formally ended in 2021. The Iraqi statement said the transition would shift ties with the United States toward economic and security cooperation, while placing all weapons under exclusive state control as part of a broader move toward sovereignty and stability.