Washington, July 15 -- The United States military is set to exit Iraq by the end of September, bringing an end to a 23-year military deployment that began with the 2003 invasion to depose Saddam Hussein and subsequently shifted towards operations targeting the Islamic State (IS) group, American and Iraqi officials announced.

Addressing a joint press briefing alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump stated that Washington no longer considers a military presence in Iraq to be essential.

Speaking through an interpreter, Al-Zaidi confirmed the timeline, noting that all American troops will depart by September 30, whereas US companies will maintain operations within the country.

"W...