Trump announces US troop withdrawal from Iraq

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the last American forces are departing Iraq, declaring an end to more than two decades of military involvement while praising the orderly withdrawal of coalition troops from Erbil Air Base. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump hailed the moment as the conclusion of a prolonged "quagmire" stemming from poor strategic decisions that had drawn Washington into the conflict.

'Quagmire' coming to an end

"Today, I am pleased to announce that the last American Forces are leaving Iraq!" Trump said, marking the termination of Operation Inherent Resolve. "It has been a long time, with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place, but soon, that will be part of History," he added, characterizing the departure as a historic milestone.

New Iraqi leadership

Trump also praised Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, stating that he had supported the leader from the beginning. "This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, somebody I supported from the beginning and fully endorsed," he said. "He won an Election that he was not expected to win, and did so, in a landslide!" Trump added.

The withdrawal draws the curtain on a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and persisted through multiple administrations, shifting from combat operations to advisory roles in recent years. Coalition forces and equipment have been departing from Erbil Air Base in a phased drawdown that Trump described as orderly, though specific timelines for the final exit remained unspecified.