The United States military has formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq after completing the withdrawal of coalition troops and equipment from Erbil Air Base, bringing an end to a 12-year international mission against ISIS.
U.S. Central Command announced the completion of the orderly exit, fulfilling a phased drawdown negotiated between Washington and Baghdad under a 2024 bilateral agreement. Erbil Air Base, situated in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, had long functioned as the coalition’s central operational command post, housing roughly 1,500 American and partner service members. With the closure of that hub, primary security responsibilities across the nation have now been handed over entirely to Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga units.
Coalition leadership emphasized that local forces now possess the training, leadership, and operational independence needed to manage and suppress any lingering extremist insurgent threats. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper commended the personnel and diplomats who served during the campaign, noting that ISIS no longer presents a systemic risk to Iraqi stability. Although the footprint inside Iraq has closed, the coalition’s overarching regional task force will continue counter-ISIS operations focused on Syria from a relocated headquarters in Jordan.
Washington and Baghdad intend to shift future defense ties into a standard bilateral security relationship based on mutual strategic interests. In Baghdad, Iraqi leadership welcomed the milestone, viewing the departure as a crucial reaffirmation of national sovereignty. The withdrawal ultimately brings a definitive close to a mission that liberated Iraqi territory and trained more than a quarter-million Iraqi personnel since 2014.