US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday that US forces have completed their withdrawal from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, formally ending the US military mission in Iraq under Operation Inherent Resolve.
The withdrawal is part of a planned transition to a bilateral defense relationship between the United States and Iraq. The Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), which has coordinated the campaign against ISIS since 2014, remains operational but is now headquartered in Jordan.
US and coalition forces began withdrawing from federal Iraq in October 2025. The process concluded this month with the departure of personnel and equipment from Erbil Air Base, which served as the task force's main operational hub and hosted most of the roughly 1,500 US and coalition personnel supporting counter-ISIS operations.
While the Iraq mission has ended, US forces will continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper praised the service members, diplomats and civilian personnel who served in Iraq, saying their efforts helped bring ISIS to the point where it “no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq’s national security."
Cooper said Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Kurdistan Region, now have the capabilities and operational independence to address threats to Iraq.
“As we step back and hand primary responsibility for Iraq’s security to the Government of Iraq and the brave people of Iraq, U.S. and Coalition forces stationed across the region will remain ready to respond to any ISIS threats that arise," Cooper said.
“Maintaining our vigilance and readiness is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security."