US-led coalition ends 12-year mission in Iraq and withdraws all forces

The United States-led military coalition has formally ended its twelve-year mission in Iraq, withdrawing its forces from the country in a significant shift that reshapes the security balance across the region.

Iraq has for years served as a battleground for competing American and Iranian influence, with both powers intervening heavily in the country's politics and government formation. Tehran-backed militant factions have long justified retaining their weapons by pointing to the presence of foreign troops on Iraqi soil.

The Iraqi government now believes the coalition's departure removes that justification, potentially pressuring powerful pro-Iranian armed groups to disarm or integrate further into the state. Whether those factions will relinquish their weapons or exploit the coalition's absence to expand their influence remains the defining question for Iraq's political and security future.