US forces set to leave last Iraq bases by 30 September, reports say

US forces are scheduled to withdraw from their final bases in Iraq by Wednesday, 30 September 2026, according to Daily Sabah and the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Where the two reports overlap, their wording is nearly word-for-word identical, though neither outlet states that they share a common source. Daily Sabah attributes some of its interviews, including those with al-Yasiri and al-Zobaie, to Reuters. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a statement from the US government, the Pentagon or the US-led coalition confirming the timeline.

According to both outlets, the withdrawal was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden. Donald Trump's administration is carrying it out while it wages war against Iran. About 4,500 Americans died in Iraq during more than two decades of war, the reports say.

Daily Sabah reports that seven of the 18 US service members listed as killed in this year's war against Iran were in Iraq. The most recent was an army sergeant who died in July during the controlled detonation of a drone at a base near Erbil.

The US invaded Iraq in 2003 and withdrew at the end of 2011, according to Daily Sabah. It returned less than three years later to help Iraqi forces fight Islamic State from 2014 to 2017. Daily Sabah says the departure is broadly popular among Iraqis, but some fear it is premature. It also reports that Islamic State retains a sleeper cell network in Iraq.

What is disputed

The Daily Sabah headline says the US "completes" its pullout. The body of that article and the SCMP report say US forces are scheduled or "set to" withdraw by Wednesday. The reports do not say how many US troops remain, which bases are involved, or whether any US presence will continue.

What each side says

• Iran: Amir Hayat Moqaddam, a senior Iranian lawmaker, said Iran "welcomes the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and will undoubtedly support it", speaking to Iran's parliamentary news service, according to Daily Sabah.
• Armed groups: Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a commander in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, called it "a historic victory for the Iraqi Islamic resistance groups", Daily Sabah reported, citing remarks he made to Reuters.
• US government: Washington says Iran-backed groups in Iraq have attacked neighbouring countries at Tehran's direction, according to Daily Sabah.
• Iraqi government: Baghdad says it is trying to curb the influence of Iran-backed groups, according to Daily Sabah.
• Critics: Analyst Jasim al-Bahadli said Iran "stands to benefit strategically", according to both outlets. Fallujah tribal leader Abdulrahman al-Zobaie told Reuters that Iraq is "still not fully ready to take over the security file", Daily Sabah reported. Iraqi security forces say a suspected Islamic State cell was preparing suicide attacks to coincide with the pullout. The reports do not detail that alleged plot.

Analysis

If the withdrawal proceeds as scheduled, it would test the Iraqi government's stated effort to curb Iran-backed armed groups, as well as its capacity to contain Islamic State cells without US intelligence and air support. One possible scenario is that Iraqi forces manage the transition. Another is that armed groups or Islamic State seek to exploit any security gaps, as some Iraqi officials warn. Much remains unclear, including the terms of the 2024 agreement and whether any US presence continues. Because the two reports reviewed by Vocemundi largely match in wording and include no official statement on the timeline, confirmation from Washington and Baghdad would clarify the picture.

Traceability
Sources (2): Daily Sabah · South China Morning Post
Independent origins: 1 · Perspectives covered: asia, turkey-progov
Confirmed: 0 · Reported: 9 · Disputed: 1 · Confidence: medium
Review: 3 AI reviewers (Claude, GPT-5.6 Sol, Kimi) · 30/31 claims backed by 2+ reviewers with verified evidence · 0 errors · approved
Drafted: 2026-09-29 18:53 UTC

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.