Iraq says September 30 deadline for US-led coalition withdrawal is final

Iraq has said that September 30 is the fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the US-led coalition in the country and completing the departure of its forces. The announcement came after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met US Central Command Commander General Brad Cooper, according to the prime minister's office. The statement said the move would mean Iraq is free of any foreign military presence from October 1.

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The office said the deadline had been agreed during al-Zaidi's visit to Washington in mid-July. It added that both sides discussed the timeline again during the latest meeting, and that Iraqi-US ties would shift toward economic and security cooperation based on mutual respect for sovereignty and shared interests. A US official also said Washington expects to complete its pullout by September 30, although the official did not say how many troops remain in Iraq or where they would be redeployed.

The withdrawal would mark the end of a US-led military presence that began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and later evolved into a smaller coalition mission against the Islamic State group. In 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed to wind down those operations, reflecting a broader effort to redefine the security relationship between the two countries. The Iraqi statement said placing all weapons under exclusive state control is an essential prerequisite for moving the country into a new phase of development and prosperity.

The timing is significant because it comes as Iraq seeks to present the withdrawal as part of a managed transition rather than a rupture. The government's language suggests it wants to frame the end of the coalition mission as a step toward greater sovereignty, while still preserving cooperation with the United States on security and economic issues. The reference to exclusive state control over weapons also points to a long-running debate in Iraq over armed groups and the state's authority.

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US troops had already pulled out of bases in most areas of Iraq last year, but a presence remained in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. The US official said coalition partners and Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Kurdistan Region security forces, have made major gains against Islamic State militants and will continue the fight. The statement from Baghdad did not give a troop number, and the US side did not clarify the final redeployment plan.

What remains unclear is the exact size of the remaining foreign force and how the withdrawal will be carried out before the deadline. It is also not clear how the transition will affect security coordination in areas where coalition forces have remained active. The next key point to watch is whether both governments follow through on the timetable and how they describe the post-coalition relationship after October 1.

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