US troops complete withdrawal from Iraq as Baghdad declares national holiday

The United States is completing the withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops from Iraq by September 30, 2026, ending over two decades of military involvement. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has declared a four-day public holiday to celebrate "Days of Sovereignty." However, the exit exposes deep internal divisions. Kurdish and Sunni leaders warn of security gaps and a potential ISIS resurgence, especially as the U.S. removes critical air defenses from Erbil. Meanwhile, Baghdad has been forced to delay its militia disarmament deadline to June 2027 as powerful Iran-backed factions refuse to disarm, raising fears of expanded Iranian influence.

U.S. military withdrawal process

• ▪The United States and Iraq signed an agreement to transfer diplomatic and logistical facilities at Baghdad International Airport to Iraqi control
• ▪The United States military is scheduled to complete the withdrawal of its remaining troops from Iraq by September 30, 2026
• ▪The U.S. troop withdrawal completed by September 30, 2026, concludes more than two decades of American military involvement in Iraq that began with the 2003 invasion
• ▪The U.S. military has removed its Erbil-based Patriot and C-RAM defensive systems from Iraq as part of the withdrawal completed by September 30, 2026
• ▪The United States and Iraq are reverting to a 2008 Strategic Framework and Security Agreement, transitioning from a military coalition to bilateral security, economic, and development cooperation.

Iraqi celebration of the withdrawal

• ▪The Iraqi government has organized official ceremonies, badge-wearing initiatives, and billboard campaigns in Baghdad to frame the U.S. exit as a restoration of national sovereignty.
• ▪The Iraqi government declared a four-day public holiday from September 30 to October 3, 2026, designated as "Days of Sovereignty" to celebrate the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq

Concerns over an ISIS resurgence

• ▪Iraqi security officials warned that a suspected Islamic State cell was preparing suicide attacks to exploit security gaps during the U.S. military pullout.
• ▪Sunni and Kurdish political leaders in Iraq have expressed skepticism over the U.S. withdrawal completed by September 30, 2026, warning that the loss of coalition intelligence and air support could trigger an ISIS resurgence

Disarmament of Iraqi militias

• ▪Hardline Iraqi militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, have rejected disarmament and stated they will not surrender their weapons.
• ▪The Iraqi militia groups Asaib Ahl Al Haq, Kataib Imam Ali, and Saraya Al Salam claimed they have placed their weapons under state authority.
• ▪Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi extended the deadline for disarming and bringing non-state militias under state control from September 30, 2026, to June 2027

Debatable claims

• ▪Iraq is justified in celebrating the US withdrawal as a restoration of sovereignty
• ▪The US military withdrawal from Iraq is premature
• ▪The US military withdrawal from Iraq is a strategic victory for Iran
• ▪Iraq's extension of the militia disarmament deadline is a necessary compromise