Baghdad Says No Coalition Forces Missions Carried Out Inside Iraq Since Start of 2026

No missions have been carried out by coalition forces inside Iraq since the start of 2026, an Iraqi air force commander said, according to a report by Anadolu Agency, as the international coalition's mission in the country is set to formally end on September 30.

The commander said Iraqi military operations have been conducted independently during this period, the report added, without detailing what prompted the halt in coalition activity or whether Iraqi forces have taken over specific responsibilities previously handled by coalition troops.

The US-led coalition has maintained a military presence in Iraq for over a decade, initially formed to combat the Daesh/ISIS group after it seized large swaths of Iraqi territory in 2014. In recent years, Baghdad and Washington have negotiated a phased drawdown of coalition forces as Iraqi security forces have taken on a greater share of counterterrorism operations.

Anadolu Agency's report did not specify what arrangements, if any, will replace coalition support after the September 30 conclusion date, or whether any US or coalition personnel will remain in an advisory capacity.

The Iraqi government has periodically emphasized its forces' growing self-sufficiency in security operations as talks over the coalition's presence in the country have progressed in recent years.