British forces have completed their withdrawal from Iraq, marking the end of a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion alongside the United States. The final contingent, estimated at around 200 personnel, left the country amid growing pressure from the Iraqi government and the concurrent departure of US troops, who had provided the primary security framework for international forces.

The withdrawal follows the expiration of a 2024 agreement between the United States and Iraq that allowed American troops to remain in the country for two additional years. This agreement concluded at the end of January, prompting the exit of both US and allied forces, including those from the United Kingdom. British troops had been stationed primarily in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq over the past decade, operating alongside other international personnel. The UK maintained a continuous military presence in Iraq from 2003 to 2009 and resumed deployments from 2014 until this year.

During the course of the conflict, which began with the US-led invasion in March 2003, 179 British service members lost their lives, and thousands more were wounded. An estimated 140,000 UK military personnel served in Iraq from 2003 through 2026. The departing British forces were part of Operation Inherent Resolve, initiated in 2014 with the goal of defeating the Islamic State group. This operation included a Royal Air Force detachment responsible for conducting targeted airstrikes against approximately 2,300 jihadist positions.

With the withdrawal of international troops, responsibility for Iraq’s security now rests entirely with Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters for the first time since the regime change that removed Saddam Hussein. Despite the departure of ground forces, the Royal Air Force is expected to maintain a presence through ongoing air missions targeting remaining jihadist elements in the region.