Last UK and US Troops Exit Iraq, Ending 12‑Year Mission

Thu Oct 01 2026 00:27:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

British and American forces have departed Iraq, marking the end of Operation Inherent Resolve and a new chapter in Iraqi security.

In a historic farewell, about 100 UK troops and their US counterparts left the northern Kurdish city of Irbil on Sunday, following a two‑year agreement to withdraw foreign forces. The departure ends Operation Inherent Resolve, the international coalition that helped defeat ISIS in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi hailed the move as a sign that the country will now take full responsibility for its stability. The withdrawal follows growing tensions with Iranian‑backed militias and a wider strategic realignment in the region.

Last UK and US Troops Exit Iraq, Ending 12‑Year Mission

Operation Inherent Resolve closes after a decade of battles against ISIS.

Iraqi security forces guard a convoy in Irbil — Iraqi forces take full responsibility for security after the last foreign troops depart.

On Sunday, roughly 100 British soldiers left the Kurdish city of Irbil, the final stop in a withdrawal that had been planned since a 2024 agreement between the U.S. and Iraq. U.S. troops, who had been based there for the past two years, were phased out in parallel, culminating in a joint signing ceremony that saw the flags of both nations lowered for the last time.

The departure marks the official end of Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (ISIS). The operation had trained more than 111,000 Iraqi security personnel and crashed over 2,300 IS targets across Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi said the exit signaled "a new chapter of Iraqi sovereignty," promising to bring all militias under state control. He also warned that Iranian‑backed militias could swell in influence now that U.S. boots are gone.

The U.S. Central Command confirmed that the coalition’s joint taskforce remains active, now based in Jordan, and that U.S. forces will continue training Iraqi partners and battling remaining IS pockets in Syria.

For the British Armed Forces, the withdrawal follows the first large‑scale exit from Iraq in 2011 after the 2003 invasion. Thousands of British troops had moved through Iraq’s capital and the north during the post‑war insurgency, but the last contingent left over a year ago after the coalition’s formal ceasefire in 2022.

Eyewitness accounts from Irbil’s main air base describe the scenes of orderly departure: troops in combat gear loading onto trucks, waving to local guards, and a pop of blue and red flags that had marked the coalition’s presence for twelve seasons.

The day will be marked with four “Sovereignty Days,” a national holiday to celebrate Iraq’s full control of its security forces. Social media posts from journalists at the base have already sparked debate over the next phase of security in the region.