The operation officially closes a chapter
US Military Exits Iraq Ending 20-Year Campaign 🇮🇶 🇺🇸 🪖 ⚠️ United States forces are scheduled to fully vacate their remaining military bases across Iraq by tomorrow, September 30, drawing down a continuous combat, advisory, and counterterrorism presence spanning more than two decades. The operation officially closes a chapter that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein and cost the lives of roughly 4,500 American service members. Iran-aligned political and militia factions across Baghdad have celebrated the departure as a historic triumph and a strategic collapse of Washington's regional presence. However, senior Iraqi defense and intelligence officials caution that the move is premature, warning that the sudden vacuum could compromise airspace defense, weaken border monitoring, and allow Islamic State remnants room to reconstitute. The withdrawal unfolds against ongoing regional hostilities; seven of the 18 U.S. service members killed during this year's confrontation with Iran died inside Iraq, with the most recent casualty occurring in July during a drone detonation near Erbil.