The United States will withdraw its remaining military personnel from Iraq by September 30, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein and later evolved into operations against the Islamic State (IS) group.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to the White House, where President Donald Trump said the US no longer believed a military presence in Iraq was necessary. The Pentagon later said the withdrawal reaffirmed a 2024 agreement reached with Iraq to conclude the mission against Islamic State fighters.

Trump Says Military Presence No Longer Needed

Speaking alongside Prime Minister al-Zaidi, Trump said the relationship between the two countries had evolved beyond military cooperation.

“We don’t think we need the military there anymore,” Trump said, pointing to Iraq’s growing engagement with oil companies. “The relationship is a whole big relationship where we don’t need the military. We’re there to help them. We’re there to protect them if need be. But we don’t think that’s going to be necessary.”

Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi confirmed that “US forces will be out of Iraq” by September 30, adding that “US companies will be inside Iraq.”

In a statement issued later, the Pentagon said the withdrawal was in line with the agreement reached in 2024 during the Biden administration. It noted that many American troops stationed in Iraq at the time had already departed.

US Presence Shifted From War To Counter-IS Operations

The United States has gradually transferred responsibility for countering the Islamic State group to Iraqi security forces, which have received training and support from American troops over several years.

As part of that transition, US forces progressively reduced their footprint, withdrawing from some locations and consolidating personnel at others.

The United States first invaded Iraq in March 2003, launching what it described as a “shock and awe” bombing campaign before sending ground forces into Baghdad.

The invasion was justified by claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Those weapons were never found.

Troop Numbers Declined After Peak Deployment

The American military presence peaked in 2007, when more than 1,70,000 US troops were deployed during counterinsurgency operations.

Under an agreement negotiated during the Obama administration, the last US combat troops left Iraq in December 2011. A limited military presence remained to provide security assistance and protect the US embassy.

American forces returned in 2014 at the request of the Iraqi government after the Islamic State group captured large areas of Iraq and Syria.

Their mission focused on rebuilding and retraining Iraqi military and police forces that had collapsed during the group’s rapid advance.

Withdrawal Marks End Of Long-Running Mission

Coalition military operations against the Islamic State formally concluded in 2021 after the group lost control of the territory it had once held.

Since then, the United States has maintained around 2,500 troops in Iraq to support training and conduct joint counter-IS operations with Iraqi forces. Following the 2024 withdrawal agreement, many of those personnel have already left, leaving only a small contingent of military advisers and other staff.

The planned withdrawal by September 30 will formally conclude the US military mission in Iraq under the 2024 agreement, bringing to an end a 23-year deployment that began with the 2003 invasion and later shifted to training and counterterrorism operations.

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