Iraq sets 30 September deadline for end of US-led coalition mission
The formal withdrawal will test Baghdad’s ability to assert control over weapons, manage domestic security and respond to external threats.
Iraq’s armed forces have confirmed that the US-led international coalition will end its formal military mission and withdraw its forces by 30 September under a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
The deadline includes the removal of US air-defence systems stationed in Erbil, which have been used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles and drones targeting the region. The coalition’s military presence has already been reduced at several Iraqi sites, with remaining US forces reportedly concentrated at Harir base in Erbil.
The withdrawal follows the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, its departure in 2011 and its return in 2015 as part of the international campaign against ISIL. Iraq’s government has described 1 October as the beginning of a new phase without foreign military forces.
Al Jazeera reported that analysts see the transition as closely linked to Baghdad’s ability to bring weapons held by non-state armed groups under state control. Questions also remain over how the government will manage security while key positions in the defence and interior ministries are vacant.
The removal of US Patriot missile batteries has raised further concerns about Iraq’s capacity to defend its airspace against future missile and drone attacks. The practical arrangements for replacing those capabilities have not been specified in the source material.
The formal end of the military mission is not expected to mean a complete end to US engagement. A former US diplomat told Al Jazeera that Washington was likely to retain counterterrorism, intelligence, diplomatic and economic involvement in Iraq.
