Iraq says coalition mission to end in 2025 with full transition by 2026

BAGHDAD — Iraq will end the mission of the U.S.-led international coalition in September 2025 and complete a phased transition to bilateral security partnerships the following year, an adviser to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Sunday.

Hussein Allawi, the prime minister’s adviser, said the government remains committed to its program of building the armed forces and strengthening their capabilities while concluding the coalition’s work within the agreed timeframe.

“The Iraqi government is committed to the government program through building the armed forces, ending the tasks of the international coalition, and transferring security relations with the coalition countries to stable bilateral defensive relations governed by political, economic, and cultural ties,” Allawi said. “The implementation of the agreement between Iraq and the coalition countries is moving forward.”

He said the coalition mission headquarters in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad base will close in September 2025. “This agreement between Iraq and the coalition countries to end the coalition’s mission will conclude the coalition’s presence … to strengthen a new phase of cooperation in advisory support and capacity building for the Iraqi security forces,” he said.

Allawi added that the drawdown is part of a broader plan to reshape relations with coalition countries into long-term defense partnerships. “This vision reflects the government’s efforts to establish a sustainable relationship covering all fields, including security, based on systematic principles initiated by the High Military Committee that discussed the coalition’s mission,” he said.

He noted that the transition will continue under the framework of the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Agreement, with a second phase scheduled for completion in September 2026.

Iraq and the United States announced earlier this year a phased transition plan for the U.S.-led coalition, which has been present in Iraq since 2014 to help defeat the Islamic State group. Hundreds of coalition personnel are set to withdraw from Baghdad and other sites by September 2025, with the remainder expected to leave by the end of 2026.

The mission will then shift into bilateral partnerships focusing on advisory roles, capacity building, and counter-ISIS coordination, including operations linked to Erbil and northeast Syria.