Middle East — 2026-10-02

US and Coalition Partners Conclude Military Mission in Iraq After 23 Years of Operations

BLUFIraq's counter-ISIS capacity and Kurdistan's vulnerability to Iranian-aligned militia strikes are the immediate stress tests of a withdrawal that removes the coalition's constraining presence on Tehran's proxies.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that the US and coalition partners formally ended the military mission in Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve, with chief spokesman Sean Parnell calling it a transition to an Iraqi-led security effort 12. The UK Ministry of Defence also announced the conclusion of the Global Coalition's mission 3. Parnell said Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, are expected to lead efforts to suppress ISIS remnants, while the US continues targeted training and intelligence support 1. Stars and Stripes reported that the coalition task force remains headquartered in Jordan, NATO moved its Iraq trainers to southern Italy in March, and Kurdistan Region officials voiced concern about leaving without a defense system after scores of drone and missile attacks since March 1. Kataib Hezbollah security official Abu Mujahid al-Assaf called the withdrawal the beginning of full sovereignty 1.

Analysis
Iraq's counter-ISIS burden now falls on Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga, while Kurdistan Region authorities report no air defense against recurring drone and missile attacks. Iran-aligned militias, which Kataib Hezbollah frames as a sovereignty victory, face less external constraint on their positioning in Baghdad. Residual US activity is limited to training and intelligence support, with the coalition headquarters in Jordan and NATO trainers working from Italy. Sourcing converges on the announcement, but it rests on official and secondary statements with no primary access to Iraqi or militia decision-making. The announcement may simply formalize a drawdown in place since March, leaving ground conditions largely unchanged. ISIS attack tempo in liberated territories and militia strike patterns in Kurdistan are the first tests. The move also parallels the third carrier deployment as a second sign of shifting US regional posture.

3 sources

US ends military mission in Iraq, closing another chapter in decades of war - Stars and Stripes
US, coalition partners conclude military mission in Iraq: Pentagon - Anadolu Agency
Conclusion of the Global Coalition's military mission in Iraq - UK Ministry of Defence