U.S. Exit Leaves Iraq With a Militia Problem
The U.S. completed its withdrawal from Iraq on Sept. 30, implementing a 2024 agreement that moved U.S. involvement from an in-country coalition to bilateral training, intelligence sharing and military assistance. The pullout was executed by the Trump administration in a markedly different security context, with Washington at war with Iran and Iran-aligned militias still active across Iraq.
Why It Matters
Removing U.S. forces ends on-the-ground capabilities such as real-time intelligence, aerial surveillance and certain air defenses that Kurdish officials say they relied on, altering the balance of security support inside Iraq. The exit was tied to a political deal to disarm militias, but Baghdad has delayed the disarmament deadline, raising concerns about armed groups remaining operational.
Key Facts
- Agreement made: 2024 — Biden determined Iraqi forces could handle remaining ISIS threat and agreed to replace the coalition mission with bilateral support.
- Withdrawal completed: Sept. 30, 2026 — U.S. troops left Iraq on schedule.
- U.S. support shifted to: Training, intelligence sharing and military assistance conducted outside the coalition framework.
- Security context change: Withdrawal executed while the U.S. is at war with Iran and Iran-aligned militias remain active in Iraq.
- Capabilities lost on the ground: Intelligence on militant movements, aerial surveillance/reconnaissance, U.S. logistical support and drones for Kurdish forces, and air defenses protecting Erbil.
The United States completed a planned troop withdrawal from Iraq on Sept. 30, implementing a 2024 agreement in which the Biden administration judged Iraqi forces capable of addressing the remaining ISIS threat. The deal envisioned replacing the multinational coalition footprint with bilateral arrangements focused on training, intelligence sharing and military assistance delivered from outside Iraq. The Trump administration inherited that agreement and carried out the exit amid a changed and more volatile regional environment.
Officials and local commanders warn that the U.S. departure removes several on-the-ground capabilities that had supported Iraqi and Kurdish forces. American personnel provided intelligence on militant movements and conducted aerial surveillance and reconnaissance; Kurdish commanders also report losing U.S. logistical support and drones. In addition, U.S. air defenses that had been protecting Erbil are being withdrawn, leaving the Kurdish region more exposed after months of Iranian missile and drone strikes.
Washington says it will continue to offer training, intelligence cooperation and other forms of support, but those functions will no longer be delivered through the same in-country military presence. That shift reduces the immediate physical footprint of U.S. forces even as some security cooperation is intended to continue bilaterally from outside Iraq.
The withdrawal was linked to a Baghdad demand that armed factions surrender weapons to state control as part of a broader effort to demobilize pro-Iranian militias. While U.S. forces departed as scheduled, Iraq has moved the deadline for bringing militias' weapons under state control to June 30, 2027, postponing the timeline for the pledged demobilization. The延…
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