The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that it has formally completed its withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, two years after the withdrawal was agreed to and 12 years since the US mission to fight the Islamic State started.
After the announcement, Iran and its allies celebrated the departure as a victory, while Iraqi security experts worry that the withdrawal could give the Islamic State and others a chance to recover.
“Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq,” the Pentagon said in a statement, adding that the departure of its forces “marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq”.
