US completes Iraq troop withdrawal after 23 years as Iran-backed groups claim victory

The United States is withdrawing its remaining troops from Iraq by September 30, ending a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. Washington and Baghdad agreed on the timeline in 2024 under the Biden administration, and the Trump administration is now executing it. The last American forces, numbering around 2,500 this year, were stationed at bases in Erbil, near Baghdad airport, and in the Green Zone.

Iran-backed armed groups are portraying the departure as a historic victory. Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a commander in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, called it a crushing defeat for the American project and said his groups will celebrate the turning of a black page in Iraq's history. Security analyst Jasim al-Bahadli told Reuters that Iran stands to benefit strategically because the withdrawal removes a counterweight to Tehran's influence.

“Iran stands to benefit strategically from the coalition's departure because it removes a military presence that for years acted as a counterweight to Tehran's influence in Iraq”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Saidi announced that pro-Iran militias must disarm and integrate into state security apparatus by June 2027. Romania has also completed the withdrawal of its troops, Defense Minister Radu Miruță confirmed in March. At the peak of the war, approximately 170,000 US troops were deployed in Iraq.

Analysts warn that the pullout could create opportunities for both Iranian allies and Islamic State remnants. NPR correspondent Jane Arraf noted that US forces originally withdrew in 2011 only to return in 2014 to fight ISIS, which had captured a third of the country. She described the current moment as a turning point for Iraq under pressure from political parties and pro-Iran militias.