The combat troops and U.S. logistical support units have reportedly left Iraq

All U.S. combat troops and logistical support units have reportedly left Iraq, according to an official quoted by Agerpres. The United States has not officially confirmed the withdrawal, dpa reports. The measure was agreed by Washington and Baghdad in 2024, and the deadline expires on Wednesday.

In recent years, approximately 2,500 U.S. troops were stationed in Iraq, in Erbil, near Baghdad airport and in the Green Zone. The troops returned in 2014 at the request of the Iraqi government to support operations against the Islamic State group. The group was declared militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but its cells continue to carry out sporadic attacks.

The security situation deteriorated after the outbreak of the war in Iran. Hundreds of attacks targeted U.S. facilities and troops, as well as Kurdish forces. The withdrawal is expected to be marked in Iraq by four days of official celebrations, with public institutions set to close. The event will be presented as “Independence Day”.

Meanwhile, the integration of Iran-aligned Iraqi militias into the state’s security structures has been postponed until June next year. The U.S. Army invaded Iraq in 2003 and withdrew in 2011, returning three years later to fight the Islamic State.