The US-led coalition is ending its military mission in Iraq after more than a decade of operations that helped defeat the Islamic State (IS) but also created lasting political tensions.
Coalition forces entered Iraq and Syria in 2014 after IS captured large areas of both countries and carried out widespread killings and other atrocities.
Iraqi forces, supported by the coalition, defeated IS in Iraq in 2017, while the group lost its territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019. Coalition troops remained afterward to conduct operations against IS remnants.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to gradually conclude the coalition mission. Forces subsequently withdrew from bases across Iraq, with their remaining presence concentrated in the autonomous Kurdistan region.
The final withdrawal from the region is scheduled for Wednesday.
Iraqi authorities believe the coalition’s departure could remove a key justification used by powerful Iran-backed armed groups to maintain their weapons.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has designated October 1 as Sovereignty Day, saying the occasion will mark the completion of Iraq’s move toward full sovereignty and reinforce the authority of state institutions.
Iraq’s political leadership has also called for weapons held outside government control to be addressed according to government plans.
Zaidi has pledged to strengthen state control over arms and encourage armed factions to surrender their weapons. His government initially set September 30 as a disarmament deadline but later abandoned the fixed date as negotiations continued.
Several influential groups remain opposed to disarmament. They have demanded the departure of foreign forces and an end to US political and economic influence.
Kataeb Hezbollah described the coalition’s withdrawal as a step toward greater sovereignty while also issuing warnings to Zaidi’s government, highlighting the challenges Iraq faces after the coalition’s departure.
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