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Baghdad celebrates as US-led coalition ends 12-year mission in Iraq
Large crowds gathered in Baghdad on Wednesday to celebrate the complete withdrawal of US-led international coalition forces from Iraq after 12 years of military operations.
Footage from the Iraqi capital showed people marching along Palestine Street, with some carrying flags of the Hezbollah Brigades and images of Iranian and Hezbollah leaders.
Some participants described the withdrawal as a major victory for Iraq, saying it marked the end of what they regarded as a US occupation and a restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi announced the official end of the international coalition’s mission to fight ISIS in Iraq, while the Pentagon confirmed the conclusion of the Iraq-based mission under Operation Inherent Resolve.
US President Donald Trump also welcomed the withdrawal, describing it as a victory for both the United States and Iraq, as well as a decisive defeat for ISIS.
The withdrawal follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to end the coalition’s military mission in phases, with the remaining forces scheduled to leave Iraq by September 30, 2026.
