Iraq Celebrates While U.S Troops Pull-Out After 23 Years

Map of Iraq with red pushpin near Baghdad — Photo: andriano.cz / Shutterstock

Iraq declared its own national holiday this week, and the last American-led coalition troops packed up and left after more than two decades on Iraqi soil.

Quick Take

The Pentagon confirmed Operation Inherent Resolve officially ended in Iraq, with final forces departing Erbil Air Base around September 30.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared October 1 “Sovereignty Day” and presided over a handover ceremony in Baghdad.
The withdrawal follows a September 2024 joint U.S.-Iraq agreement, not a sudden or chaotic exit.
Iraqi security forces held parades in Baghdad and Najaf, and crowds celebrated in the streets of Basra and other cities.
Regional analysts flagged open questions about Iran-backed militias and a possible Islamic State comeback once American forces are gone.

A Two-Decade Mission Reaches Its Planned End

The Pentagon made it official. Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said “the United States and its coalition partners have officially concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq,” pointing to the joint U.S.-Iraq statement from September 2024 and American national interests as the basis for the move. This was not a last-minute scramble. It was the final step in a plan both governments had been building for two years.

The timeline matters here. Washington and Baghdad agreed back in 2024 to wind the coalition mission down in stages, working through what officials called the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission. A Department of War release confirmed the final moves lined up with that agreement and the joint statement signed September 27, 2024. That is a planned transition, not a retreat under fire.

Baghdad Marks The Moment With A New Holiday

Prime Minister al-Zaidi stood before an official Baghdad ceremony and called it the start of something new. “A new phase has begun, characterized by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends,” he said. He then declared October 1 “Sovereignty Day,” a holiday meant to mark the moment Iraq took full control of its own security.

The celebration spilled into the streets. Iraqi security forces staged parades in Baghdad and Najaf, and residents in the southern city of Basra drove car convoys through town cheering the departure. State television carried nighttime celebrations, and officials turned the exit into a multi-day national event rather than a quiet paperwork transfer.

What Americans Actually Handed Over

U.S. officials were direct about what the move meant on paper. They said they would “step back and hand full primary responsibility for Iraq’s security to the Government of Iraq and the brave people of Iraq”. The final piece of that handover played out at Erbil Air Base, where Pentagon and wire reports described an “orderly withdrawal of Coalition forces and equipment” completing the mission on or around September 30.

That is a real transfer of responsibility, not a symbolic gesture. For two decades, American and coalition forces anchored Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State and helped train Iraqi units. Handing that job fully to Baghdad is a significant shift, and Iraqi leaders have every reason to treat it as a milestone worth celebrating.

The Questions Iraq Now Owns

Reuters reporting noted the withdrawal creates an opening that Iran-backed militias could exploit, along with a chance for the Islamic State to regroup in areas where Iraqi forces are stretched thin. Other coverage raised similar concerns about whether Iraqi institutions can fully secure the country’s airspace and borders without coalition backup close by.

Some militia factions have also claimed credit for the American departure, competing with the government’s official sovereignty narrative for public credit. That tension is worth watching, but it does not change what already happened on the ground. The coalition mission is closed, the agreed handover is complete, and Iraq now carries the full weight of its own security decisions.

US-led coalition ends Iraq mission as last troops leaveUS-led coalition ends Iraq mission as last troops leave

The last American forces left Erbil, ending the US-led coalition’s military mission inside Iraq and implementing a 2024 withdrawal deal. President Trump called it a…

— AetherGlobal News (@AetherGnews) October 1, 2026

Conservative observers should see this for what it is: a negotiated exit built on a signed agreement, executed on schedule, and handed off to a sovereign government that asked for it. That is a far better outcome than an open-ended occupation with no end date. Iraq now owns its security future, for better or worse, and that is exactly the kind of outcome American policy should aim for after two decades of war.