Iraq to End U.S.-Led Coalition Combat Mission Against ISIS by September

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Fadh al‑Zeidi announced that the combat mission of the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq will conclude and all foreign troops will withdraw by September 2026. He told Sky News that Iraqi forces, with support from the United States and allied nations, have fought ISIS but the war caused extensive infrastructure damage and large economic losses.

Al‑Zeidi said the Iraqi government has held intensive talks with armed factions, insisting that all weapons must be under state authority. He also disclosed plans for an upcoming international "Sovereignty Conference" aimed at affirming that Iraq’s future decisions will be made by its own people. The prime minister emphasized Iraq’s balanced foreign policy, maintaining ties with Gulf Arab states, Iran and the United States while rejecting external pressure.