The United States is expected to complete the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq by September 30, ending a 23-year military presence that began with the US-led invasion in 2003.

The date was confirmed as the final deadline for the withdrawal following a meeting on Wednesday between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi and US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper.

A US official also confirmed that Washington expects to complete the withdrawal by the same date but did not provide details on how many US troops remain in Iraq or where they will be redeployed.

From invasion to military withdrawal

The history of the US military presence in Iraq, however, stands in contrast to Washington’s claims about the security situation left behind.

Following the 2003 invasion, the number of US troops in Iraq exceeded 170,000 in 2007. The last US combat troops withdrew in 2011, but American forces returned in 2014 after the Islamic State group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria.

Although the US formally ended the coalition’s combat mission in 2021 after the group lost most of the territory it had controlled, Washington left around 2,500 troops in Iraq.

The US is now preparing to end its military presence in the country after more than two decades of intervention.

Withdrawal begins from Erbil

The withdrawal reportedly began in Erbil about three weeks ago. Some US bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have also come under repeated attacks following attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.It marks another major turning point in the long US military involvement in Iraq.

Washington entered Iraq in 2003 with a large military force, fundamentally altering the country’s political and security landscape. More than two decades later, the US is leaving a country that continues to face armed groups, security challenges and fragile political balances.(ILKHA)