US-led coalition mission in Iraq ends after more than a decade

As reported by Dawn, the US-led coalition's mission in Iraq is ending after more than a decade. Its forces were deployed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, which had seized territory in Iraq and Syria. The coalition helped defeat IS in Iraq by 2017, though its troops remained to battle the group's remnants.

The withdrawal follows an agreement between Baghdad and Washington in 2024. Coalition troops have gradually pulled out from bases across the country, restricting their presence to the Kurdistan region, with a final withdrawal scheduled for 30 September 2026.

The Iraqi government believes the coalition's exit removes the excuse powerful militant factions have used to retain their weapons. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has declared the following day, 1 October, as Sovereignty Day, calling it a national occasion that affirms Iraq's path toward sovereignty.