Trump Hails US Withdrawal From Iraq, Praises PM al-Zaidi
At a Glance
- President Donald Trump says the final U.S. forces have left Iraq, calling the withdrawal a “Great Day for America” and a victory for both countries.
- Trump praised Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and said he had supported and endorsed him from the beginning.
- Trump described the end of Operation Inherent Resolve as a decisive victory over ISIS, saying the group’s territorial caliphate no longer exists.
- The U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was completed on September 30, with the final troops and equipment departing Erbil Air Base.
U.S. President Donald Trump has hailed the completion of the American military withdrawal from Iraq, describing it as the end of a costly chapter and praising Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the United States had completed its mission against ISIS in Iraq and that “it was time for America to go home.”
Key Statements
“Today, I am pleased to announce, that the last American Forces are leaving Iraq!”
— U.S. President Donald Trump
“This is a Great Day for America and, importantly, we leave with Iraq having a wonderful new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi.”
— Donald Trump
“This Day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory over ISIS.”
— Donald Trump
“We came to fight a caliphate. There is no longer a caliphate. We are going home!”
— Donald Trump
Trump framed the withdrawal as the fulfillment of his decision to end what he described as an overly prolonged U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
He credited his administration with completing the mission against ISIS while contrasting the departure from Iraq with the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Trump also placed particular emphasis on al-Zaidi, calling the Iraqi prime minister “outstanding” and saying he had supported him from the beginning.
A key part of Trump’s statement, however, requires clarification: al-Zaidi was not directly elected as prime minister by Iraqi voters. He was designated by President Nizar Amedi in April 2026 and subsequently received parliamentary confidence in May. Iraq’s parliamentary system does not directly elect the prime minister in a nationwide popular vote.
Trump said the U.S. military presence in Iraq began in 2003 under President George W. Bush, continued with the return of U.S. forces in 2014 under President Barack Obama, and concluded in 2026 under his administration.
He described the withdrawal as an “orderly departure” of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base and said he had chosen to end the American military presence rather than allow it to become permanent.
The U.S. military confirmed that its withdrawal from Iraq was completed on September 30, with the final troops leaving from Erbil. The departure formally ended the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq after more than two decades of American military involvement in the country.
Washington has said the end of the Coalition mission does not mean the end of all U.S.-Iraq security cooperation. Reuters reported that the United States is continuing targeted training and intelligence support for Iraqi partners under a bilateral defense relationship.
Trump also linked the withdrawal to the defeat of ISIS’s territorial “caliphate.” While ISIS no longer controls territory in Iraq as it did at its peak, Iraqi and international officials continue to regard the group’s remaining cells and networks as a security concern.
FYI
The September 30 withdrawal marks a major transition in Iraq’s post-2003 security relationship with Washington. The Coalition mission against ISIS has formally ended in Iraq, shifting primary responsibility for national security to Iraqi institutions while leaving a continuing framework for U.S.-Iraq training and intelligence cooperation.
For al-Zaidi’s government, the transition places greater emphasis on the capabilities of Iraq’s security institutions and on managing threats from ISIS remnants, armed groups and wider regional tensions. Trump’s characterization of al-Zaidi as an unexpected landslide election winner is also distinct from Iraq’s actual constitutional process: al-Zaidi became prime minister through parliamentary selection and confidence, rather than a direct popular vote for the premiership.
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