India, Oct. 1 -- A long chapter in the US military presence in Iraq has come to an end. On September 30, 2026, the United States completed the withdrawal of its remaining forces from Iraq, ending the Iraq-based mission of the US-led coalition after years of fighting ISIS. The final troops and equipment left Erbil Air Base as Washington and Baghdad move toward a different kind of security relationship.

The withdrawal closes a military chapter that began with the US-led invasion in 2003 and continued through the return of American forces in 2014 to fight ISIS.

President Donald Trump welcomed the departure at a White House Hispanic Heritage celebration, describing the Iraq war as a costly and prolonged conflict. He said, "we're getting the...