The United States completed its full military withdrawal from Iraq on September 30, 2026, ending Operation Inherent Resolve after departing Erbil Air Base, the last remaining American installation in the country. The counter-ISIS mission now runs from Jordan, covering Syria only.
US Troops in Iraq 2026 – Introduction
US Troops in Iraq is now a story about an ending. On September 30, 2026, US Central Command announced the departure of the final American troops and equipment from Erbil Air Base in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, closing out Operation Inherent Resolve more than two decades after the first US boots landed in the country. The Combined Joint Task Force that ran the anti-ISIS campaign is now headquartered in Jordan, and its remaining mission covers Syria alone.
The exit followed a two-year, two-phase plan Washington and Baghdad signed in September 2024. It moved through base handovers, a temporary reversal driven by fears of a security vacuum in Syria, and a final Kurdistan-region pullout that closed the book on the deadliest and most expensive American military campaign since Vietnam. This report tracks the numbers behind the US Troops in Iraq 2026 withdrawal: troop counts, base closures, the timeline, and the human and financial cost. All figures reflect reporting current through September 30, 2026.
Interesting Facts About US Troops in Iraq 2026
US TROOP PRESENCE IN IRAQ OVER TIME
2007 Surge Peak | █████████████████ 170
2010 Drawdown | █████████ 94
2019 (Pompeo) | 5 (rounds to less than 1 block)
Early 2025 | 2.5 (rounds to less than 1 block)
Sept 30, 2026 | 0
| Fact | Confirmed 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Final withdrawal date | September 30, 2026 |
| Last base vacated | Erbil Air Base, Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Operation ended | Operation Inherent Resolve (in Iraq) |
| Mission launched | 2014, to fight ISIS |
| Peak historical troop level | 170,000 during the 2007 surge |
| Troop level at start of 2025 | Approximately 2,500 |
| US service members killed in Iraq (23 years) | 4,500 |
| New CJTF-OIR headquarters | Amman, Jordan |
Source: US Central Command; CBS News; Reuters; Congressional Research Service; Department of Defense casualty records, September 2026.
The chart traces a two-decade decline from the 170,000 troops deployed at the height of the 2007 surge down to zero by the end of September 2026. Even the modest 2,500-troop force that remained at the start of 2025 looks large next to today’s total. The table below fills in the close: Erbil was the final base, Operation Inherent Resolve is the operation that just ended in Iraq specifically, and the broader anti-ISIS task force now runs out of Amman rather than Baghdad or Erbil.
Twenty-three years of continuous or near-continuous US military presence in Iraq closed with this withdrawal. The 4,500 service members killed there since 2003 span two distinct wars fought two years apart under different names — Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve — bridged by a three-year full withdrawal between December 2011 and the ISIS crisis of 2014.
US Troop Withdrawal Timeline 2026: From Agreement to Final Exit
KEY MILESTONES ON THE ROAD TO WITHDRAWAL (2024-2026)
Sept 2024: Two-phase agreement signed | ████
Aug 2025: Baghdad bases vacated | ██████
Oct 2025: Ain al-Asad reversal announced | ████████
Jan 17 2026: Ain al-Asad fully handed over| ██████████
Sept 30 2026: Erbil, final withdrawal | ████████████
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | US and Iraq sign two-phase drawdown agreement |
| August 2025 | US ground forces leave Baghdad’s Victoria Base and Union III |
| October 2025 | Plan reversed; 250–350 advisors stay at Ain al-Asad and Al-Harir |
| January 17, 2026 | Ain al-Asad Air Base fully handed to the Iraqi Army |
| September 30, 2026 | Final withdrawal from Erbil Air Base; Operation Inherent Resolve ends in Iraq |
Source: US Central Command press statements; CBS News; Task & Purpose; Kurdistan24 reporting, 2024–2026.
The September 2024 agreement set out two phases: an initial drawdown through September 2025 covering federal Iraq, and a second phase running to September 2026 that would wind down the Kurdistan Region presence while continuing counter-ISIS operations into Syria from Iraqi soil. Phase one moved fast. US personnel left Baghdad’s Victoria Base and the Union III compound in the Green Zone by August 2025, and departures from Ain al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province began that same month.
The timeline was not a straight line down. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced in October 2025 that 250 to 350 American advisors would stay at Ain al-Asad and Al-Harir Air Base after all, citing security concerns tied to the collapse of the Assad government in Syria weeks earlier. That holdout ended on January 17, 2026, when Ain al-Asad was fully transferred to Iraqi Army control. From there, only Erbil remained, and CENTCOM confirmed its departure on the exact date set two years earlier: September 30, 2026. For more on how the base network itself evolved through the drawdown, see this detailed look at US military bases in Iraq statistics.
US Military Bases in Iraq 2026: The Four-Base Network That Closed
US BASES IN IRAQ BEFORE THE FINAL WITHDRAWAL (closure order)
Union III, Baghdad Green Zone | closed August 2025
Victoria Base, Baghdad | closed August 2025
Ain al-Asad Air Base, Anbar | closed January 17, 2026
Erbil Air Base, Kurdistan | closed September 30, 2026
| Base | Location | Closure Date |
|---|---|---|
| Union III | Baghdad Green Zone | August 2025 |
| Victoria Base | Baghdad | August 2025 |
| Ain al-Asad Air Base | Anbar Province | January 17, 2026 |
| Erbil Air Base | Iraqi Kurdistan | September 30, 2026 |
Source: US Central Command; Task & Purpose; Stars and Stripes reporting on base-by-base drawdown, 2025–2026.
Four bases anchored the American military footprint in Iraq going into 2025: two in Baghdad, one in western Anbar province, and one in the Kurdish north. Baghdad went first. Union III, inside the fortified Green Zone, and Victoria Base both emptied out by August 2025 as US forces shifted toward a strictly bilateral security relationship with the federal government rather than a counter-ISIS combat footing inside the capital.
Ain al-Asad, a base with a long and violent history — it took the brunt of Iran’s January 2020 ballistic missile retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani — held on longest among the non-Kurdish sites, finally transferring to full Iraqi Army control on January 17, 2026. Erbil, chosen early on as the consolidation point for the drawdown because of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s comparatively stable security environment, became the last American foothold in the country until its closure brought the network to zero.
US Withdrawal Costs and Casualties 2026: The Price of Two Decades
US FINANCIAL COST OF IRAQ OPERATIONS (billions of dollars)
Through FY2018 (OIF+OND+OIR combined) | ███████████████ 757
FY2025 counter-ISIS budget (Iraq/Syria/Lebanon) | ▌ 5.4
FY2026 counter-ISIS budget (Iraq/Syria/Lebanon) | ▌ 4.5
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total obligations through FY2018 | $757.1 billion (CRS estimate) |
| FY2025 Operation Inherent Resolve budget | $5.4 billion |
| FY2026 Operation Inherent Resolve budget | $4.5 billion |
| US service members killed in Iraq since 2003 | 4,500 |
| Peak coalition troop level (2007 surge) | 170,000 |
Source: Congressional Research Service; US Department of War fiscal year budget overviews; Defense Casualty Analysis System, reported via The Daily Caller, September 2026.
The Congressional Research Service put total US obligations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve combined at $757.1 billion through fiscal year 2018 alone, a figure that predates most of the counter-ISIS campaign’s later years and therefore understates the full lifetime cost. More recent budgets show the spending taper as the mission shrank: $5.4 billion for fiscal year 2025 and $4.5 billion for fiscal year 2026, though both figures cover the broader Iraq-Syria-Lebanon counter-ISIS campaign rather than Iraq in isolation.
Human costs accumulated on a different curve than dollars. 4,500 American service members died in Iraq across both wars, with the overwhelming majority falling during the 2003–2011 conflict rather than the post-2014 counter-ISIS campaign; 2007, the year of the troop surge, was the single deadliest year for US forces since the invasion. The 170,000-troop peak that year dwarfs every subsequent deployment level, illustrating how far the mission had already shrunk before this year’s final withdrawal even began.
What Comes Next for Iraq and Syria After the 2026 Withdrawal
US COUNTER-ISIS FOOTPRINT AFTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
Iraq (troop presence) | 0
Syria (troop presence) | small residual force
CJTF-OIR headquarters | relocated to Jordan
| Question | Status as of September 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| US troops remaining in Iraq | 0 |
| US troops remaining in Syria | Small residual force; roughly 1,500 withdrew earlier in 2026 |
| CJTF-OIR headquarters | Amman, Jordan |
| Iraq-US relationship going forward | Bilateral defense cooperation, not coalition combat mission |
| Kurdish concern | Possible ISIS resurgence without US-backed peshmerga support |
Source: CENTCOM statement, September 30, 2026; CBS News; i24NEWS reporting on the final withdrawal.
CENTCOM was explicit that the closure of Erbil Air Base ends Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission in Iraq specifically, while the wider anti-ISIS campaign continues from Jordan and covers operations in Syria alongside coalition partners and Syrian Democratic Forces. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had already told reporters the coalition partner group overseeing the broader mission is expected to disband by June 2027, later than an initially floated September 2026 target. The Iraq exit closes one front of a much larger regional picture, tracked in this rundown of US military operations statistics, which covers the far larger simultaneous US campaign against Iran that has dominated the region’s headlines this year.
The handover leaves an open question in Iraqi Kurdistan, where officials have voiced concern about an ISIS resurgence without the advisory and intelligence support American forces provided to Kurdish peshmerga units. Iraq’s relationship with Washington now shifts formally to the bilateral defense-cooperation model the September 2024 agreement described from the start, similar to arrangements the US maintains with other regional partners rather than the coalition combat structure that defined the previous decade. Separately, Washington and Baghdad are still negotiating the release of billions of dollars in Iraqi financial guarantees dating back to Saddam Hussein’s government, a dispute unrelated to the military drawdown but tracked in this breakdown of US sanctions statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions About US Troops in Iraq 2026
How many US troops are in Iraq in 2026?
Zero, as of September 30, 2026. The last American forces departed Erbil Air Base that day, ending Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission inside Iraq.
When did the US officially withdraw from Iraq in 2026?
September 30, 2026. US Central Command announced the completed departure of troops and equipment from Erbil Air Base on that date.
What was Operation Inherent Resolve?
The US-led military campaign launched in 2014 to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. It liberated roughly 110,000 square kilometers and 7.7 million people from Islamic State control before winding down.
Which US military bases closed in Iraq before the 2026 withdrawal?
Union III and Victoria Base in Baghdad closed in August 2025. Ain al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province closed on January 17, 2026. Erbil Air Base closed last, on September 30, 2026.
Why did US troops briefly stay at Ain al-Asad longer than planned?
Iraq’s prime minister announced in October 2025 that 250 to 350 American advisors would remain at Ain al-Asad and Al-Harir due to security concerns following the collapse of the Assad government in Syria weeks earlier. That holdout base was fully handed over in January 2026.
How many US troops were in Iraq at the peak of the war?
170,000, reached during the 2007 troop surge under President George W. Bush.
How many US service members died in Iraq?
4,500 service members died in Iraq across the 2003–2011 war and the post-2014 counter-ISIS campaign combined.
Are US troops still in Syria after leaving Iraq?
Yes, a small residual force remains, though roughly 1,500 troops withdrew from Syria earlier in 2026. The Combined Joint Task Force overseeing that mission now operates from Jordan rather than Iraq.
How much did the Iraq War and its aftermath cost the United States?
The Congressional Research Service estimated $757.1 billion in obligations through fiscal year 2018 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve combined, with billions more spent in subsequent years.
Did Iraq ask the US to leave?
No. The withdrawal followed a negotiated September 2024 bilateral agreement between Washington and Baghdad, driven by both governments’ assessment that Iraqi forces could handle the remaining counter-ISIS mission independently.
What replaces the coalition mission in Iraq now?
A bilateral defense-cooperation relationship between the US and Iraq, similar to arrangements Washington maintains with other regional partners, rather than the multinational coalition combat structure used since 2014.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.