NAIROBI, Kenya- U.S. forces have completed their departure from Erbil Air Base, ending the Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq after more than a decade of supporting the fight against the Islamic State group.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on September 30 that American personnel and equipment had left the base in an orderly withdrawal, completing a planned transition towards a bilateral defence relationship with Iraq.
The departure ends the mission’s operations in Iraq, but its counter-ISIS campaign in neighbouring Syria will continue.
The Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve remains operational and is now headquartered in Jordan, CENTCOM said.
Counter-ISIS operations continue in Syria
According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces will continue working alongside coalition partners and the Syrian government against ISIS in Syria.
The task force was established in 2014 to advise, assist and support partner forces fighting the group in Iraq and Syria.
Its departure from Iraq shifts primary security responsibility to Iraqi forces, while retaining a regional coalition presence capable of responding to threats.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper credited American military personnel, diplomats and civilian staff with helping Iraqi forces reach that point.
“Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq,” Cooper said.
Iraqi forces take primary responsibility
Cooper said ISIS no longer posed a “systemic threat” to Iraq’s national security, an assessment he attributed to years of military cooperation and the development of Iraqi security forces.
He said those forces, including the Peshmerga and other security units in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, now had the leadership and operational independence to manage threats within their territory.
The assessment does not amount to a declaration that ISIS has been eliminated. CENTCOM said U.S. and coalition forces elsewhere in the region would remain prepared to respond to the group.
“As we step back and hand full primary responsibility for Iraq’s security to the Government of Iraq and the brave people of Iraq, U.S. and Coalition forces stationed across the region will remain ready to respond to any ISIS threats that arise,” Cooper said.
Erbil departure completes phased transition
American and coalition forces began leaving federal Iraq in October 2025, according to CENTCOM. The removal of personnel and equipment from Erbil this September completed that transition.
The base in northern Iraq had served as the task force’s main operational hub. It hosted most of the approximately 1,500 American and coalition personnel supporting counter-ISIS operations, CENTCOM said.
The command described the withdrawal as a change in the structure of U.S. security cooperation with Iraq, with future engagement proceeding through a bilateral defence relationship.
“Maintaining our vigilance and readiness is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security,” Cooper said.
