US President Donald Trump announced that the final group of American troops is leaving Iraq, bringing Operation Inherent Resolve to a formal close.

Speaking to the media, Trump described the withdrawal as a decisive victory over ISIS and said it marked a victory for both the United States and Iraq. He said the move ends more than two decades of American military involvement in Iraq.

The plan for the withdrawal was agreed upon by the United States and Iraq under the Biden administration in 2024, with 30 September set as the deadline for completing the process.

The Trump administration continued with the implementation of the agreement. American troops had previously withdrawn from Iraq in 2011 after an eight year military presence that began following the US invasion in 2003.

US forces returned to Iraq in 2014 after ISIS captured large areas of Iraq and Syria and posed a threat to areas around Baghdad. While the US led military campaign defeated ISIS on the battlefield in 2019, American troops remained in Iraq to support efforts aimed at preventing the group from rebuilding its presence.