US forces exit remaining bases in Iraq

US forces have withdrawn from their remaining bases in Iraq on Wednesday, raising fears they will leave behind a security vacuum.

The departure, celebrated as a victory by Tehran and its allies, was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration even as it wages war against Iran, which wields influence in Iraq through proxies.

It comes 23 years after US-led forces toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, then triggered upheaval and chaos, culminating in the rise of IS. 

While the departure of US forces is broadly popular among Iraqis, some worry that security forces trained and funded by the United States still can't protect the country, where 4,500 American forces died in more than 20 years of war.

"The lesson from the past two decades is that security vacuums can be extremely dangerous," said Jassim al-Bahadli, an Iraqi analyst who advises the security forces.

US forces invaded Iraq in 2003 and went on to occupy the country before withdrawing at the end of 2011.

They returned less than three years later to help Iraqi forces defeat IS in a major war from 2014 to 2017.

Around twice as many Americans died in "Operation Iraqi Freedom" as in the parallel war in Afghanistan, which ended with an abrupt US withdrawal in 2021.

In this year's conflict with Iran, 7 of the 18 US service members listed as killed were in Iraq, the last an army sergeant who died during the controlled detonation of a drone at a base near Erbil in July.

US troops had been providing Iraqi security forces with critical intelligence on IS movements, aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.

"The most important question now is whether Iraq's security institutions have prepared a viable Plan B for the post-coalition phase," said retired Iraqi Army General Mohammed al-Jubouri, who led a brigade in the war against IS. 

"One of the worst-case scenarios would be IS obtaining armed drones or improvised explosive drones at a time when Iraq still lacks sufficient air defense capabilities to counter such threats effectively."