Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi says there are no US troops in Iraq any more, advisers included. Anadolu Agency reported that he told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) so on Friday, in a report carried by ANews, and Arab Times published the same account. Both pieces appeared on 24 October 2026.
Neither report includes a response from the US government.
The statement comes during the US-Iran war, which AP reports has at times spilled into Iraq. Origin Pakistan's report on President Trump's 23 October comments on the war looks at what he said and what it means for Hormuz and Pakistan.
What the Pentagon said on 30 September
On 30 September 2026, the United States and its coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement, Kurdistan24 reported. AP reported that the US military announced it had completed the withdrawal of all American troops, and that Parnell said the last troops and equipment had left the Erbil air base.
Parnell also said the US military will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners, according to AP. The reports do not say where that support will be based.
Kurdistan24's account adds that the statement named the Peshmerga alongside Iraqi security forces as the forces expected to lead the continuing security effort. It also said that responsibility for ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias now rests with the Iraqi government.
How the withdrawal reached this point
| When | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | A joint US-Iraq statement set a phased wind-down of the coalition, with the mission ending in September 2026. Combat operations in Iraq were to end by September 2025, with support for operations in Syria continuing until September 2026. | Al Jazeera |
| January 2026 | Iraq announced that coalition advisers had left federal areas, with logistical support for operations in Syria continuing from a base in Erbil. | Al Jazeera |
| Mid-July 2026 | Stars and Stripes reported on 15 July that al-Zaidi, who took office in May, had said the last US troops would leave by the end of September. He was in Washington, where he met President Trump at the White House. The same report said a small contingent of advisers and others was still in Iraq. | Stars and Stripes |
| 30 September 2026 | Operation Inherent Resolve was formally concluded, and AP reported that the US military said its troop withdrawal was complete. | Kurdistan24, AP |
| 1 October 2026 | Al-Zaidi announced 30 June 2027 as the latest date for armed factions to hand their weapons to the state. AFP reported that he had earlier set 30 September and backed away from it. | Arab News (AFP) |
| Reported 24 October 2026 | Anadolu reported that al-Zaidi told INA no US troops remain in Iraq, advisers included. | ANews (Anadolu) |
What the claim leaves open
The reports leave three questions unanswered.
- Embassy-linked personnel. An inspector general report to Congress, cited by Stars and Stripes, placed US forces at the end of March 2026 largely at Erbil Air Base and the Erbil Diplomatic Support Center. It also listed a presence at Harir Air Base, Camp Dahuk and the Baghdad Embassy Complex. Neither 24 October report says whether US military personnel attached to the embassy remain.
- Future cooperation. Al Jazeera reported that a July 2024 US-Iraq security dialogue agreed a next phase that included liaison officers, training and security cooperation programmes. The reports do not say whether any such officers are now in Iraq.
- Erbil's air defences. On 30 September, Al Jazeera reported that US air defence systems in Erbil were being withdrawn, and AP reported that Kurdish officials had voiced concern about their removal. The reports do not say whether the systems have been replaced.
Armed groups and the 30 June 2027 deadline
Al-Zaidi said the foreign withdrawal removes the reason armed factions gave for keeping their weapons. He has set 30 June 2027 as the latest date for weapons outside state control to be handed over. According to AFP, in Arab News, that date replaced an earlier deadline of 30 September.
On 30 September, AP said only a few smaller militias had agreed to disarm. It added that Baghdad was unlikely to satisfy the terms set by the stronger Iran-aligned groups, some of which rejected the idea outright.
AFP reported that Iran-backed factions said on 30 September they were not bound by any timeline to hand over weapons. Kataeb Hezbollah military spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini said the groups had not yet received a government response in talks on regulating their weapons.
