Why the U.S. has decided to withdraw troops from Iraq
By Easton Martin
The United States military completed the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq on Wednesday, officially concluding Operation Inherent Resolve and ending more than two decades of American military presence in the country. The departure executes a transition plan between Washington and Baghdad to convert the international combat coalition into a standard bilateral security relationship.
The final group of American personnel and equipment departed military airfields in Erbil, situated in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. That departure followed earlier handovers of federal installations, including Ain al-Asad Air Base and the Joint Operations Command headquarters in Baghdad.
A major change in battlefield conditions catalyzed the withdrawal. Iraqi security forces demonstrated the operational capability to manage counterterrorism requirements without foreign combat backing. While Islamic State militants occupied roughly one-third of the country when coalition forces deployed in 2014, sustained operations dismantled the caliphate’s territorial control, reducing remaining extremists to fragmented rural cells that domestic units handle through routine interdiction missions.
Diplomatic pressure from Baghdad accelerated the exit timeline. The Iraqi government formally requested the transition to restore full national sovereignty over domestic installations and airspace. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi affirmed during bilateral talks in Washington that domestic institutions possess sufficient readiness to defend national territory. Both governments agreed that continuing a permanent foreign garrison inside Iraq generated unnecessary political friction and complicated governance in Baghdad.
Broad defense realignments in the Pentagon also hastened things. Military leadership restructured its posture to prioritize regional deterrence. Maintaining thousands of troops across exposed forward operating bases absorbed significant air-defense platforms and assets while offering limited combat utility. Exiting those fixed facilities frees military resources for other defense priorities across the globe.
Defense officials confirmed that the complete withdrawal from Iraqi soil does not terminate the bilateral security partnership. The Pentagon will maintain targeted intelligence sharing, advisory channels, and equipment maintenance support from external regional hubs. Baghdad now assumes sole defensive authority over all national territory and air corridors.
