US-Led Coalition Ends Iraq Mission After More Than a Decade

The US-led coalition is ending its military mission in Iraq after more than a decade. Its campaign helped defeat Daesh but also created lasting tensions with powerful armed factions.

Coalition forces entered Iraq and Syria in 2014 to fight Daesh, which had seized large areas of both countries and carried out massacres and other atrocities.

Daesh lost its territorial control in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019. However, coalition troops remained to target the group’s remaining fighters.

Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to end the coalition’s mission in Iraq. Troops gradually left bases across the country and limited their remaining presence to the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north.

The final withdrawal from the region is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Iraqi government believes the departure will remove a key justification that armed factions have used to keep their weapons.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared October 1, the day after the coalition’s departure, as Sovereignty Day.

In a joint statement on Monday, the heads of Iraq’s executive, legislative and judicial branches called the occasion a milestone in the country’s path towards sovereignty.

They also said authorities must address weapons held outside state control according to government timelines.

Government Seeks State Control Over Weapons

Zaidi, who took office this year amid reported US support, has pledged to strengthen the state’s control over weapons and bring armed factions under government authority.

His government initially set September 30 as the deadline for factions to disarm. It later withdrew the deadline as talks continued over how to regulate weapons.

The issue has fuelled tensions and could take much longer to resolve.

Several powerful groups continue to reject disarmament. Senior politicians have stepped in and are seeking a compromise.

The factions have set conditions that go beyond the withdrawal of foreign troops. They also want an end to what they describe as American political and economic interference.

The powerful Kataeb Hezbollah group said on Monday that the departure of “the occupation forces” marked a step towards full sovereignty.

However, it also issued a warning to Zaidi’s government.

“A government that doesn’t work for the good of its people will be brought down by all possible means,” the group said.

Coalition Presence Remained a Source of Tension

During the campaign against Daesh, coalition forces and Iraqi armed factions fought the same enemy.

After Daesh lost its territorial strongholds, however, the coalition’s continued presence became a major point of dispute between Iraqi authorities and armed groups.

The factions demanded the withdrawal of US troops and began targeting them with drones and missiles.

The attacks prompted US retaliatory strikes, which killed several faction commanders over the years.

During the wider Middle East conflict, Iran and allied factions intensified attacks on US-led forces in the Kurdistan region.

In Erbil, the regional capital, residents told AFP they were increasingly worried about protection from drones.

The drones have repeatedly targeted the autonomous region. Residents now fear that the departure of coalition air-defence systems could leave them more exposed.

The coalition also withdrew from Syria earlier this year.