ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Supporters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which includes Iran-aligned armed groups, gathered in Baghdad on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the US-led coalition’s military withdrawal, as the Iraqi government sought to project a message of security and stability.
Demonstrators chanted slogans including “America is the biggest devil.”
Fadhil al-Fartusi, a PMF supporter, told Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail that the celebrations reflected opposition to any continued foreign military presence.
“As you can see, all segments of Iraqi society are celebrating because no one wants the presence of foreign forces,” he said. “The security forces are fully prepared, and there is no need for foreign troops to exist here at all.”
Hamid Abdul-Reza, a tribal leader, also joined the celebrations.
“The exit of America from Iraq today is as if we were born free today,” he said.
The US military on Wednesday formally concluded its withdrawal from Iraq, ending its 12-year Operation Inherent Resolve mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) from within the country. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to end the coalition’s military mission, with continued cooperation shifting to a bilateral security framework.
Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, told Rudaw that the government was confident in the capabilities of the country’s security forces.
“Everyone has a unified vision for a secure and stable Iraq,” Numan said. “The Iraqi security forces possess high morale and high readiness.”
The withdrawal marks a new phase for Iraq as Baghdad seeks to assert state control over weapons and security decision-making.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Wednesday called for arms to be confined to the state, urging armed groups to come “under a single national doctrine, a single banner, and a unified military and security decision.”
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