Pentagon says it has completed withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that it has formally completed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, according to the Guardian. The announcement comes two years after the withdrawal was agreed to and 12 years since the US mission to fight the Islamic State group began.

The completion of the withdrawal marks the end of an extended US military presence in Iraq that began in response to the rise of the Islamic State, which at its peak seized large swaths of territory across Iraq and Syria before being pushed back by a US-led coalition and local forces.

Mixed regional reaction

Following the announcement, Iran and its allies celebrated the departure of US forces as a victory, according to the Guardian's report. Tehran has long sought the removal of American troops from Iraq, viewing their presence as an obstacle to its own regional influence.

Iraqi security experts, meanwhile, expressed concern that the withdrawal could give the Islamic State and other militant groups an opportunity to regroup and expand their activities in areas where security forces may now have reduced outside support.

The agreement to withdraw US troops was reached two years ago, following years of negotiations between Washington and Baghdad over the future of the American military presence in the country. The final completion of that process represents a significant shift in the US military footprint in the Middle East.

It remains to be seen how Iraqi security forces will manage counter-terrorism operations independently, and whether the withdrawal will affect the broader security balance in a region that has experienced repeated flare-ups of conflict involving Iran-aligned groups, Islamic State remnants and other armed factions.

The Pentagon's announcement did not detail specific plans for any continued US support to Iraqi forces, such as intelligence sharing or logistical assistance, following the full troop withdrawal.