Iraq announces end of US-led coalition military mission

Qasim al-Araji, the Iraqi prime minister's security adviser, announced on Wednesday that Iraq has formally ended the US-led international coalition's military mission — describing the transition as an "important milestone" that consolidates Iraqi sovereignty after American forces completed their withdrawal from remaining positions this month.

In a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), Araji said the move followed negotiations that began in July 2021, stressing that ending the coalition's mission "does not mean the end of the partnership" with Washington and its allies. Security and intelligence cooperation will continue "on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests," he added, noting that the arrangement shifts toward bilateral relations with individual coalition states.

From Daesh war to bilateral ties

The US-led coalition was formed in 2014 after Daesh seized vast territories across Iraq and Syria, providing Iraqi forces with air support, intelligence and training throughout the campaign to dislodge the terror group. Baghdad announced full liberation from Daesh control in December 2017, with Araji crediting the victory to "the sacrifices of Iraqis and the valor of our armed forces in their various branches and formations," alongside support from international partners.

Baghdad and Washington agreed in September 2024 to terminate the coalition's military presence under a timetable extending through September 2026, though the withdrawal from remaining bases was completed ahead of schedule this month. The transition establishes a new framework for capacity-building and expertise exchange between Iraqi forces and coalition members without the formal multinational command structure that has operated since the war against Daesh began.