U.S. and Iraq Agree to Withdraw Nearly All American Troops by the End of 2026

Washington and Baghdad have reached an agreement for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and other foreign forces from Iraq by the end of 2026, according to U.S. defense officials, in the latest attempt to curtail America’s two-decade long military commitment.

Hundreds of U.S. and coalition troops based in Baghdad, western Iraq and other parts of the country would leave by next September, followed by a drawdown of forces in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil by the end of the following year, officials said.

The outline of the withdrawal plan is completed, a senior administration official said Friday, but some final details remain to be ironed out, particularly with other members of the coalition. A public announcement of the deal could come next week, the military officials said.

Even after 2026, a small U.S. force is likely to remain in an advisory capacity and for logistical support for American troops based in Syria under a new bilateral security agreement with Iraq, the officials said.