US completes troop withdrawal from Iraq, ending 12-year mission

The United States military announced on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last US troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal agreed between Baghdad and Washington two years ago, meeting a 30 September deadline.

President Donald Trump hailed the conclusion of the deployment, calling it "a very expensive excursion into Hell" and describing the withdrawal as "orderly". At a White House event he blamed "very bad decision making" for America's entry into what he called a "quagmire" lasting many years, and said the move was a victory for the US and Iraq and a sign of victory over the Islamic State group.

Baghdad presented the end of the mission as a sign of Iraq's growing strength and sovereignty. The departure was celebrated by Iran-backed groups but drew concern in the Kurdish region, where many fear a resurgence of the Islamic State and further attacks by Iran-linked militias.

The withdrawal comes against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Iran war, which has at times spilled into Iraq, with Iran-backed militias firing on American troops and the US striking their strongholds.