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Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Wednesday that the Sept. 30 deadline for ending the international coalition's military mission in the country and completing the withdrawal of its forces is "final and irreversible," setting the stage for what he described as a new chapter in Iraqi statehood.
Al-Zaidi made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Brad Cooper, according to a statement posted by the Iraqi prime minister's office on the social media platform X.
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The prime minister said Oct. 1 "would mark a new day in Iraq's statehood," telling Cooper that the country would be "free of any foreign military presence" once the withdrawal is complete. Al-Zaidi stressed that Iraq now needs the collective effort of its people to build a strong economy and a stable state as it moves past the coalition's military role.
Al-Zaidi also reiterated that consolidating all weapons under exclusive state authority remains central to his government's agenda, calling it a "key condition for moving Iraq into a new phase of development and prosperity." The statement did not elaborate on specific enforcement measures tied to that goal.
Both sides affirmed what the statement called their "complete and final agreement" to end the coalition's military mission, a commitment first reached during al-Zaidi's visit to Washington in mid-July.
Al-Zaidi and Cooper said that Iraqi-U.S. relations would now pivot toward economic and security cooperation grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty and shared interests.
The coalition's presence in Iraq dates to 2014, when it was formed to help Iraqi forces combat the Islamic State group. Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to formally conclude the coalition's military mission by Sept. 30 of this year, shifting the relationship toward bilateral arrangements focused on training, intelligence sharing and security cooperation rather than direct combat operations.
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