Arab media reported on August 18 that a US military convoy departed Ain al Asad airbase, a military facility hosting US forces in western Iraq, on its way to Syria. An Iraqi security source speaking to Shafaq News claimed that all US soldiers will leave Ain al Asad by September 15. A limited number of US forces may remain in Baghdad, while others relocate to bases in Syria and Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency, Hussein Alawi, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani, said that the international coalition gathered to fight the Islamic State (IS) will end its mission in Baghdad and Ain al Asad airbase next month.
“This development follows Iraq’s agreement with coalition countries to conclude the coalition’s mission within the publicly announced timeframe of 2025 and 2026. Under this agreement, the coalition’s presence at its headquarters in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad Air Base will officially end in September 2025, marking a new phase of security cooperation focused on advisory roles and capacity-building for Iraqi security forces,” Alawi added.
A US official confirmed to The National that the US mission in Iraq is transitioning to a bilateral security arrangement between Iraq and the United States on schedule.
The US Department of Defense (DOD) established Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in 2014 with the purpose of defeating the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The DOD announced the most recent transition of CJTF-OIR in September 2024. It entails a two-phased plan, the first part of which is scheduled to end next month.
“In the first phase, the coalition’s military mission in Iraq will end. This means coalition forces will withdraw from certain locations in Iraq as mutually determined. The transition period in Iraq begins now and will end in September 2025,” the DOD stated in its announcement of the plan. The second phase, which is scheduled to continue through September 2026, focuses on countering IS in Syria.
Some Iraqi politicians have expressed concern over the country’s security situation as the US decreases its presence.
Iraqi officials have been concerned that any instability in Syria may affect Iraq and could provide an opportunity for the Islamic State to resurge. Additionally, Shiite communities in Iraq distrust Syria’s new regime and hold special animosity for interim President Ahmad al Sharaa, who fought with Al Qaeda in Iraq as an insurgent during the Iraq War.
Iraq is also facing a tense moment politically over allegations of foreign meddling in the country’s affairs, with accusations being leveled at both the United States and Iran. The US and elements of the Iraqi political landscape object to efforts by Iran to enshrine its influence in the country. Currently, the vehicle for Iran to achieve this aim is legislation that would strengthen the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi security organization comprised of militias, many of which are backed by Iran, as an independent government organ.
Iran-aligned factions in Iraq responded to the US transition by condemning the US presence in the country. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and member of the PMF, insisted on the departure of US forces, saying, “We reaffirm that we will not waver from demanding the withdrawal of the occupation forces and their aircraft, and the exit of their elements from joint operations by September 2025, no matter how high the cost or great the sacrifices.” Kataib Hezbollah is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization. It has previously targeted US troops in the region, including likely participating in the deadly Tower 22 attack that killed three US service members in Jordan in January 2024.
In addition, Iran and Israel may engage in another round of fighting, and Iraqi militias would be unlikely to sit out in a second round. Esmail Ghaani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), reportedly warned Iran-backed militias in Iraq in July that Israel possesses an extensive list of targets in Iraq to attack these groups.
