US withdrawal from Iraq will be closely watched by Iran-backed militias and Kurds

Reports that the United States will remove its remaining troops and air defense systems from Iraq by the end of September are being watched closely in the Kurdistan Region, which has already faced more than 1,000 drone and missile attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias since February 2026.

Kurdish media outlet Rudaw reported on Sunday that Washington would meet a September 30 deadline for leaving Iraq. The report said the withdrawal would include all remaining defense systems in the Kurdistan Region, including those in Erbil, and that the phased removal of troops and military equipment had begun. The details remain unclear and difficult to confirm, but the expectation that the withdrawal is happening could itself shape how the region is viewed by its adversaries.

Iraqi security adviser Qasim al-Araji told Rudaw that coalition forces would completely withdraw on September 30 under an agreement reached between Iraq’s previous government and the global coalition. He said the American side had expressed its readiness to meet the deadline.

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On September 30, coalition forces will completely withdraw from Iraq, and this is the implementation of the agreement made between the previous government and the global coalition.

At the same time, the United States is pressing Iraq to rein in and disarm Iran-backed militias. The article says none has disarmed so far, and it questions whether weapons will be handed over in September. Many of the groups belong to the Baghdad-backed Popular Mobilization Forces and may argue that their weapons already fall under state control through the PMF.

Araji said discussions with armed groups were moving in a positive direction. He said the sides would reach a comprehensive mechanism to place all weapons under the control of the state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces after the coalition’s withdrawal.

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After the withdrawal of the coalition, an agreement will be reached on a comprehensive mechanism to place all weapons under the control of the state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.