US-Led Coalition Formally Ends Anti-IS Mission in Iraq

The Pentagon said responsibility for addressing Iraq’s remaining security challenges will now rest primarily with Iraqi forces, including the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga. Washington will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to its Iraqi partners under the new security arrangement.

The conclusion of the mission follows the 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to gradually wind down the US-led coalition’s military presence in Iraq. The final withdrawal was completed on September 30, in line with the agreed timeline.

The US-led campaign against the Islamic State began in 2014, after the militant group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces subsequently declared the country’s territorial liberation from IS in 2017, although militant remnants have continued to pose a security challenge.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also announced the conclusion of the coalition’s mission, with Baghdad describing the transition as a new phase in the country’s security and sovereignty arrangements. Iraqi officials had repeatedly said September 30 would be the final deadline for the coalition’s military mission and the withdrawal of its forces.

The transition does not mark an end to US-Iraq security cooperation. The two countries are moving towards a bilateral framework involving security cooperation, intelligence sharing and training, while the Iraqi government assumes primary responsibility for national security.

The British government separately confirmed that UK personnel had also departed as part of the conclusion of the coalition’s military mission, saying Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga were taking primary responsibility for security.

The end of Operation Inherent Resolve comes as Iraq seeks to strengthen state control over security while managing broader regional tensions. The transition also follows efforts by Baghdad to finalise arrangements concerning foreign military facilities and diplomatic support infrastructure.

The conclusion of the coalition mission represents a major change in Iraq’s security framework, shifting the principal responsibility for countering remaining Islamic State activity to Iraqi institutions while maintaining limited international support through bilateral channels.