Iraq declares 'Sovereignty Day' as US forces complete withdrawal
“Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that October 1 would be observed as a national Sovereignty Day to mark the end of the foreign military presence. After more than two decades of military pres…”
After more than two decades of military presence in Iraq, the United States has formally ended its mission in the country and completed the withdrawal of its forces., the Iraqi military marked the end of the US mission with military parades on the streets of Baghdad and Najaf, with troops and military vehicles taking part in the ceremonies.
The Iraqi government believes the withdrawal of foreign forces will remove a justification that pro-Iran factions have used to retain weapons and maintain armed capabilities in the country. The United States and Iraq had agreed in 2024 to bring the military mission to an end.
Also Read:US forces exit Iraq, emboldening Iran's proxies and Islamic State. Following the agreement, US troops gradually withdrew from bases across Iraq, with their presence eventually reduced to the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north.
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The latest withdrawal marks another major chapter in the long and complicated history of the US military presence in Iraq. The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 in an operation that led to the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein’s government.
American forces remained in the country for several years before completing their withdrawal at the end of 2011. However, US troops returned to Iraq three years later after the Islamic State (IS) group seized large parts of the country and at one point controlled roughly one-third of Iraq’s territory.
The renewed US military presence was part of an international effort to assist Iraqi forces in fighting IS and preventing the group from expanding further.
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