United States and Britain complete military withdrawal from Iraq

The last British and American soldiers left Iraq on September 30, 2026, ending a 12-year coalition mission against the Islamic State group. Around 100 British troops flew out from Irbil, in the north of the country. US and Iraqi officials signed an agreement in 2024 that set the date for the withdrawal. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi led a handover ceremony to mark the occasion. The Pentagon said the mission had successfully broken the Islamic State as an organised military force. The group once controlled large areas of Iraq, but it has been reduced to small scattered cells. Iraq's government has promised to take full responsibility for the country's security, and Iraqi forces will continue to pursue remaining Islamic State fighters.