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Iraq declares US-led coalition mission over

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has declared the US-led coalition’s mission against the ISIL (ISIS) group officially over, stating that Iraqi forces are now in control of the country’s security as it enters a “new phase” of sovereignty.

Iraq honors coalition role, vows to continue collaboration with ‘friendly countries’

After more than two decades of foreign intervention, Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has affirmed that the country is transitioning to a new phase in which it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability.

In a statement, the ministry expressed “profound thanks and appreciation to the United States of America, as the leader of the International Coalition, and to the friendly countries participating in it” for their support in the campaign against the ISIL (ISIS) group that launched over a decade ago.

The ministry stated that the official conclusion of the International Coalition’s mission in Iraq did not mean the “end of cooperation with friendly countries”.

International efforts to combat extremism “will remain an ongoing track based on shared interests and mutual respect for national sovereignty, encompassing training, the exchange of expertise and information, and capacity-building”, the ministry added.

It also reiterated its commitment to consolidating relations with international partners on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah armed group suspends military activities

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi paramilitary group operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of pro-Iranian factions, has announced through its leader, Ahmad al-Hamdawi, that it will suspend military activities in Iraq, “with the exception of targeting hostile aircraft violating the country’s airspace”, The Associated Press reports.

Separately, Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesperson for the umbrella group, said in a release that negotiations with the government regarding the regulation of weapons had failed to yield an agreement.

“The weapons of the Resistance will remain as a trust in the hands of the fighters,” al-Husseini said, adding that they would remain directed against any enemy that targets Iraq and its people.

Iraq drafts plan to disarm all armed groups by mid-2027

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has announced that the government has drafted a plan to disarm all armed groups in the country by June 2027, the official Iraqi news agency reports.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the draft is scheduled to be presented in the coming days and will include specific implementation timelines.

The ministry said that the prime minister has set the deadline for completing the disarmament process for June of next year.

The push for disarmament is driven heavily by pressure from the United States amid regional tensions involving Iran, alongside economic challenges and a pressing need to attract foreign investment.

Iraq celebrates Sovereignty Day as US troops complete withdrawal

Nighttime celebrations filled the air as Iraqis observed the start of a four-day holiday to mark the withdrawal of US troops and international forces after more than a decade in the country fighting ISIL (ISIS).

Iraq marks US withdrawal as ‘Sovereignty Day’, but Kurdish officials voice concerns

Supporters of the so-called “axis of resistance” are celebrating what they consider a historic victory: the end of the US-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq.

Now, the government calls it a day of sovereignty, but Kurdish officials in Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern region are raising concerns.

They say they are worried about a possible resurgence of ISIL and are also concerned about the loss of air defence systems while facing frequent drone and missile attacks targeting several locations in the region.

The withdrawal is a huge gain for supporters of the axis of resistance, as it has been a longstanding demand following dozens of military confrontations and attacks on US military bases and interests in Iraq and the region.

The question now is whether sovereignty will be completely achieved, given that powerful armed groups operating inside Iraq had already made the withdrawal a prerequisite for handing over their weapons to the state.

Ultimately, the central question remains: Who is actually controlling the use of force in Iraq?

Iraq’s PM says territory will not be used to threaten neighbors

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has hailed the withdrawal of US troops and international forces from Iraq as “the realisation of full and comprehensive Iraqi sovereignty”.

In a statement, al-Zaidi said the withdrawal – which capped a decade-plus anti-ISIL (ISIS) mission – “marks the beginning of a new chapter in Iraq’s journey”.

The prime minister announced that October 1 marked “a serious beginning for addressing the issue of weapons outside state control”, outlining a roadmap with agreed-upon timelines not exceeding June 30, 2027, to disarm non-Iraqi armed groups and enforce constitutional principles restricting decisions of war and peace to state authorities.

Baghdad will also start the process of supporting security institutions by purchasing a complete air defence system to reinforce aerial sovereignty, al-Zaidi said.

“The Iraqi government affirms its constitutional commitment to preventing the use of Iraqi territory and airspace as a launching pad or transit route for any action that threatens the security of neighboring countries,” he wrote.

IRGC hails US withdrawal from Iraq as ‘historic victory,’ says Washington needs to leave wider region

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has described the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq as a “historic victory”.

In a statement on Iran’s ISNA news agency, the IRGC said that Washington’s wider military presence in West Asia has been destabilising and should also come to an end.

“The US must leave the region and leave security management to the nations themselves,” it said. “The experience of two decades of occupation has shown that the US presence not only did not bring security, but was itself the source of insecurity, terrorism, and instability in West Asia.”

The IRGC also highlighted the human and financial costs of the US military campaign and occupation in Iraq, saying that even by Washington’s own count, the toll has been immense.

“After twenty years of military intervention, with about five thousand deaths, according to its own admission, of course, not the real figures, and four trillion dollars in costs, the US was expelled at the height of hatred and resentment of the Iraqi people,” it added.

Iraq receives new dollar shipment from US to bolster foreign currency supplies

Iraq has received a new shipment of US dollars in an understanding with Washington to bolster foreign currency reserves, Reuters news agency has reported, citing an Iraqi government spokesperson.

After the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and following the collapse of President Saddam Hussein’s regime, the country’s oil revenues were placed in a special account in the US and then transferred to Baghdad. This system allowed Washington oversight of the flow of financial resources to Iraq.

In April, US President Donald Trump halted cash shipments from the account, releasing only electronic dollars. Some reporting attributed the halt in physical cash transfers to US pressure on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

Local media outlets have reported that Iraq’s Central Bank has faced US dollar shortages and had difficulty supplying commercial banks, leading to inflationary risks.

In July, the Trump administration began releasing some physical cash transfers but also accused Iraq of dollar smuggling operations to Iran.

Iran asks Iraq to lift flight restrictions caused by US sanctions, return to normal conditions

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has asked Iraq to take ⁠steps to lift flight ⁠restrictions caused by US sanctions and ‌return flights to normal conditions.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the movement of millions of Iranian and Iraqi citizens required an independent and responsible approach to disagreements between the two governments.