The United States has completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, including combat troops and logistical support personnel, an Iraqi government official told dpa on Sunday. Washington has not yet officially confirmed the completion of the withdrawal.

The departure follows a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington to end the US military presence in Iraq. The Pentagon had previously said that around 2,500 American troops were stationed in the country.

Before the withdrawal, US forces operated from several locations across Iraq, including Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, a military facility near Baghdad International Airport and the Green Zone, home to key Iraqi government institutions and diplomatic missions.

The US-led international coalition began military operations against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria in 2014, following the group's rapid seizure of territory across large parts of both countries. IS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, although its remaining cells continue to conduct sporadic attacks.

The US withdrawal comes amid heightened regional tensions and a worsening security environment in Iraq following the outbreak of the Iran war. Iraq has repeatedly become a battleground in tensions between Washington and Tehran, with both sides previously involved in military confrontations and political disputes on Iraqi territory.

Hundreds of attacks have reportedly been carried out during the current conflict, targeting US facilities and personnel in Iraq as well as positions held by Peshmerga forces. The departure of US forces is expected to be welcomed by Iran and Iran-aligned armed groups operating in Iraq.

The Iraqi government is preparing to mark the end of the US military presence with four official public holidays beginning Wednesday, when the formal deadline for the withdrawal expires. The occasion is expected to be commemorated as “Independence Day,” with public institutions closed.

The withdrawal had also been linked to plans to disarm powerful Iran-aligned militias and integrate them into Iraq's state security institutions. However, the process, announced by Prime Minister Ali al-Saidi, was later postponed and is now scheduled for June 2027.

The United States first deployed forces to Iraq in 2003 as part of the invasion that toppled former President Saddam Hussein. American troops withdrew in 2011 but returned in 2014 at the request of the Iraqi government to assist in the fight against IS.

The reported completion of the latest withdrawal marks a significant change in the US military's role in Iraq. Baghdad now faces continuing security challenges from IS remnants, regional tensions and armed groups operating outside the full control of the state.