The U.S. military mission against ISIS in Iraq is officially over. American and coalition forces completed their departure from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on Wednesday, closing out a campaign that began in 2014 under Operation Inherent Resolve. Erbil housed most of the roughly 1,500 U.S. and coalition personnel supporting the mission, making its closure the clearest sign the drawdown is now complete.
The move follows the transition plan the U.S. and Iraq announced in September 2024. Responsibility for Iraqi security now shifts to Iraqi forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, while the Pentagon describes the coalition mission as transitioning into a traditional bilateral defense relationship. Iraq declared territorial victory over ISIS in 2017, but the wider fight isn’t finished. The joint task force has moved its headquarters to Jordan and continues operations in Syria.
For longtime followers of the region, this closes another chapter in more than two decades of American involvement in Iraq. Supporters, including President Trump, call it a decisive victory. Others are watching what the withdrawal means for regional stability and what happens next with the remaining ISIS threat. So we want to hear from you, Suncoast: do you think the mission in Iraq was finished, or is it too soon to say?
