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Gone quiet · last update Oct 6, 2026 / Iraq

The withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in 2026

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

US forces left Iraq at the end of September 2026, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein and later shifted to fighting the Islamic State group.[1][2] The withdrawal followed a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the US-led coalition's mission, and President Donald Trump hailed it as the end of a "very expensive excursion into Hell."[3][4] Iraq now faces remaining Islamic State cells and powerful Iran-aligned militias on its own.[5]

Read the timeline

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The withdrawal followed a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the US-led coalition's mission, and President Donald Trump hailed it as the end of a "very expensive excursion into Hell."[3][4] Iraq now faces remaining Islamic State cells and powerful Iran-aligned militias on its own.[5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Jan 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 2 of 2 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (8 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 5, 20261113 of 4791%
Sep 28, 202617321867 of 47614%
Aug 10, 202628313 of 5452%
Jul 13, 2026211316 of 5593%
Jan 19, 20260213 of 1702%
Jan 12, 20260011 of 1911%
Sep 23, 202417513 of 2146%
Jan 22, 202444210 of 2384%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 6, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Bismarck Tribune

    US troops are gone from Iraq, but ISIS remains. What comes next?

Background

In January 2024, amid tensions over attacks on US forces, Iraq said the two governments would discuss a timeline for reducing coalition troops.[6] That September they agreed to end the coalition's mission against the Islamic State, with US forces leaving some long-held bases.[3][7] In January 2026 US forces withdrew from Ain al-Asad Air Base, and the Iraqi army took full control.[8]

In July 2026 officials said the US military would leave Iraq by the end of September,[1] and Patriot air defense systems were removed.[9] The US forces left their remaining bases on September 30,[2] as the coalition that deployed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State ended its mission.[10] Iraq marked the departure with "Sovereignty Days."[11]

Supporting stories (11)
  1. US military will be out of Iraq by end of September, Iraqi prime minister and Pentagon say
  2. U.S. withdraws forces in Iraq as balance of power shifts to Iran
  3. Wrapping up mission, US troops will leave some longstanding bases in Iraq under new deal
  4. Trump hails US military exit from Iraq as the end of a ‘very expensive excursion into Hell’
  5. US troops are gone from Iraq, but ISIS remains. What comes next?
  6. Iraq and U.S. start formal talks to end coalition mission created to fight the Islamic State
  7. US military’s mission in Iraq to wrap up by 2026
  8. US completes withdrawal from al-Asad airbase, Iraq says
  9. US nears full withdrawal from Iraq as bases in Kurdistan region face attacks from Iran, proxies
  10. The US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete
  11. Iraq begins high-stakes security balancing act as US troops withdraw

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 12 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. US troops are gone from Iraq, but ISIS remains. What comes next?Headline from Bismarck Tribune · 1 outlet

September 2026

  1. Trump hails US military exit from Iraq as the end of a ‘very expensive excursion into Hell’Headline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 2 outlets
  2. U.S. withdraws forces in Iraq as balance of power shifts to IranHeadline from End Time Headlines · 1 outlet
  3. Iraq begins high-stakes security balancing act as US troops withdrawHeadline from Al Jazeera · 1 outlet
  4. The US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is completeHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 70 outlets

August 2026

  1. Officials say US forces on track to complete Iraq pullout by Sept. 30Headline from The Republic · 14 outlets

July 2026

  1. US nears full withdrawal from Iraq as bases in Kurdistan region face attacks from Iran, proxiesHeadline from Al-Monitor · 1 outlet
  2. US military will be out of Iraq by end of September, Iraqi prime minister and Pentagon sayHeadline from The Republic · 16 outlets

January 2026

  1. US completes withdrawal from al-Asad airbase, Iraq saysHeadline from Military Times · 5 outlets

September 2024

  1. US military’s mission in Iraq to wrap up by 2026Headline from The Hill · 5 outlets
  2. Wrapping up mission, US troops will leave some longstanding bases in Iraq under new dealHeadline from MyNorthwest · 9 outlets

January 2024

  1. Iraq and U.S. start formal talks to end coalition mission created to fight the Islamic StateHeadline from PBS NewsHour · 13 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →