US-Led Coalition Ends 12-Year Anti-ISIS Mission in Iraq

The US-led coalition has formally ended its military mission against ISIS in Iraq, concluding a 12-year operation that began after the terrorist group seized large areas of the country in 2014.

The Pentagon announced Wednesday that coalition forces and equipment had completed their withdrawal from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq. The departure marked the end of Operation Inherent Resolve in the country.

US Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said the mission had defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq. He said responsibility for the country’s remaining security challenges would now shift to Iraqi forces.

The United States will continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraq under a bilateral security relationship. Iraqi forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, will lead operations against remaining ISIS cells.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi said the coalition’s departure marked a new stage for the country.

“The end of the international coalition’s mission does not mean the end of our battle against terrorism,” he said. Instead, Iraq would now assume full responsibility for its security and stability.

Operation Inherent Resolve began in 2014 after ISIS captured roughly a third of Iraq, including Mosul, the country’s second-largest city. US troops had previously withdrawn from Iraq at the end of 2011 but returned less than three years later to support Iraqi forces against the terrorist organization.

Coalition-backed Iraqi forces eventually drove ISIS from the territory it controlled. However, the group continues to operate through smaller cells and has carried out attacks in Iraq and elsewhere in the region.

The withdrawal follows a transition plan agreed by Washington and Baghdad in 2024. Under the agreement, the coalition gradually reduced its presence while Iraqi forces assumed greater responsibility for counterterrorism operations.

The final withdrawal comes amid continued concern over ISIS remnants and armed groups aligned with Iran.

Reuters reported that some Iraqi security officials fear ISIS cells could try to exploit the coalition’s departure. Meanwhile, Iran and allied Iraqi militias have publicly welcomed the withdrawal.

Iraq marked September 30 as “Sovereignty Day,” with military convoys and public celebrations held in several cities following the departure of coalition forces.