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The United States said Wednesday it had “formally concluded” its mission against Daesh in Iraq following the withdrawal of coalition troops from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq.
After more than a decade, the U.S.-led coalition said it was ending Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, the mission launched to fight Daesh in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Daesh seized large swaths of both countries and committed massacres and atrocities before being defeated territorially in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Coalition forces remained to fight the group’s remnants.
“Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, consistent with the September 2024 U.S.-Iraq joint statement and U.S. national interests,” Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“The orderly departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq,” he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi hailed the end of the mission as the start of a new chapter for the country.
“A new phase has begun, defined by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, unity of decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends,” Zaidi said at a ceremony marking the conclusion of the coalition’s mission.
Parnell said the milestone reflected the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated Daesh “as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region.”
He said the development also “marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship.”
The Department of War will continue to provide “targeted training and intelligence support” to Iraqi partners, Parnell added.
“The primary responsibility for addressing Iraq’s remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias that undermine Iraqi sovereignty and regional stability, now rests with the Government of Iraq,” he said.
“The United States remains committed to counterterrorism” and will continue to work with Iraq and its partners to ensure ISIS “can never reconstitute from Iraqi territory,” he added.
Parnell said the U.S. supports “a strong sovereign Iraq” that secures its borders, protects its people and serves as the foundation for “deeper commercial, diplomatic, and security cooperation” between the two countries.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in September 2024 to end the coalition’s military mission in Iraq under a timetable extending through the end of September 2026, with a transition to bilateral security relations between Iraq and coalition member states.
Coalition troops had gradually withdrawn from bases across the country, restricting their presence to northern Iraq before the latest departure from Erbil.
The Iraqi government believes the coalition’s withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Iran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons.
The coalition was formed under U.S. leadership in 2014 after Daesh seized large areas of Iraq and Syria, providing Iraqi forces with air, intelligence and training support during operations against the group.
Iraq announced in December 2017 that it had regained full control of territory seized by Daesh.
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