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US to pull last troops from Iraq by September 30 after 23 years
The US will withdraw its remaining troops from Iraq by September 30, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called the date the "fixed…
The Story in Brief
The US will withdraw its remaining troops from Iraq by September 30, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called the date the "fixed and final deadline" after a meeting with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper. A US official confirmed the planned pullout but did not specify troop numbers or redeployment locations.
The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement to wind down the US-led mission against ISIS. Around 2,500 US troops currently remain for training and counterterrorism support. The deadline coincides with an Iraqi push to disarm non-state militias, though the AP reports powerful Iran-backed groups reject giving up weapons, citing the US presence as justification.
The Indian Opinion
The September 30 deadline sounds neat but masks deeper tensions. Hardline militias will not disarm just because the last US soldier leaves, they profit from instability, not foreign boots. Al-Zaidi faces a test: can he enforce disarmament without a civil war? Watch whether militia attacks inside Iraq drop after October 1. If they rise, the deadline was a gimmick, not a settlement.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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