Marrakech – The United States and its coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced, ending a 12-year military campaign against the Islamic State group.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that coalition forces and equipment had carried out an “orderly departure” from Erbil Air Base in the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The move, according to his statement, was consistent with the September 2024 US-Iraq joint statement.
Parnell cast the withdrawal as “the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq.” The milestone, he added, reflected “the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region.”
The departure also “marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship,” Parnell noted. Primary responsibility for Iraq’s remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias, now rests with the government in Baghdad.
Washington intends to keep supporting its partners. The Department of War will continue to provide “targeted training and intelligence support” to ensure ISIS “can never reconstitute from Iraqi territory,” according to Parnell. He expected the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, to lead the continuing effort.
The US-led coalition first invaded Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein, a war that produced hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, sectarian violence, and the eventual rise of ISIS. US personnel peaked near 170,000 in 2007 before an initial withdrawal in 2011, when the military presence stood under 40,000, and 4,400 American service members had been killed.
Forces returned in 2014 after ISIS seized Mosul and large areas of Iraq and Syria. A coalition of more than 80 countries formed under US leadership, and Iraq announced full control of ISIS-held territory in December 2017.
US President Donald Trump welcomed the exit. Writing on Truth Social, he called it “a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS,” adding that he “felt, without question, that it was time for America to go home.” At a White House event, he described the Iraq war as a “quagmire” and “a very expensive excursion into Hell.”
Trump also falsely stated that Operation Inherent Resolve began with the 2003 invasion. That deployment was Operation Iraqi Freedom, which ended in 2010.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the departure. The task force overseeing anti-ISIS operations has relocated to Jordan, with hundreds of US troops still stationed in Syria. The Erbil base had hosted 1,500 coalition personnel before the pullout.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi praised the withdrawal as the start of a new era and urged foreign investment. Kurdish officials, however, warned that it leaves their region exposed to Iranian strikes and a possible ISIS resurgence.
ISIS remains territorially defeated but still maintains cells throughout Iraq and Syria, with Iraqi officials warning the group may seek to surge operations after the withdrawal.
Retired Iraqi general Mohammed al-Juburi told Reuters the key question is whether Baghdad has prepared a plan for the new phase.
Read also: Morocco, US Renew Pledge to Defeat Terrorist Groups Across Region
