特朗普披露美军将在23年驻伊任务结束后撤离伊拉克的时间

Trump reveals when US military will leave Iraq after 23-year mission

July 14, 2026 1:46pm EDT / Fox News

Iraqi PM al-Zaidi declared armed factions would have ‘no justification’ once the coalition mission ends

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published July 14, 2026 1:46pm EDT | Updated July 14, 2026 2:28pm EDT

Trump says US no longer needs troops in Iraq

President Donald Trump says Iraq is ready to stand on its own without U.S. troops, while Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi says armed groups outside state control will have “no justification” after the coalition mission ends.

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States no longer believes it needs a military presence in Iraq, arguing Iran has been weakened enough for Baghdad to stand on its own as the U.S.-led coalition mission approaches its planned Sept. 30 conclusion.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi echoed that vision, declaring that armed factions operating outside state control would have “no justification” once the coalition mission concludes and insisting Iraq’s security forces would be capable of protecting the country on their own. Al-Zaidi said limiting weapons to the state was “a decision, not an option.”

Trump said the U.S. partnership with Iraq would shift away from military cooperation toward investment and energy development, while al-Zaidi said: “The 30th of September, the U.S. forces would be out of Iraq. While U.S. companies will be inside Iraq.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump gestures toward Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, July 14, 2026.(Evan Vucci/Reuters)

“We don’t think we need the military there anymore,” Trump said. “We’re there to help them. We’re there to protect them if need be. But we don’t think that’s going to be necessary.”

He argued Iraq’s security environment had fundamentally changed because Iran had been “very much destabilized” and its military was now “just a tiny fraction” of what it had been four months ago.

The remarks underscore a remarkable shift for a country once synonymous with roadside bombs, sectarian violence and the fight against ISIS. More than two decades after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Trump administration is publicly arguing the security environment has improved enough to replace a military partnership with an economic one, pointing to billions of dollars in planned U.S. energy investments as evidence American companies are now willing to do business where American troops once fought.

Iran has long exercised influence in Iraq through political parties and powerful militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces, many of which have operated alongside — but outside — the Iraqi security apparatus. Washington has for years pressed Baghdad to bring those groups fully under state control.

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Under a 2024 agreement, the U.S. and Iraq agreed to end the American-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq starting in September 2025. While U.S. forces drew down from several bases, American troops have remained in the country in an advisory role and to support counter-ISIS operations tied to neighboring Syria.

U.S soldiers rest at their base on March 5, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq.(Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images)

Iraqi riot police close a bridge leading to the heavily guarded Green Zone during a demonstration of supporters of Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr against corruption in Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq.(AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

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About 2,500 U.S. troops remained in Iraq prior to the beginning of the drawdown in September 2025, down from a peak of about 170,000 during 2007 at the height of the Iraq war. Nearly all U.S. forces departed in 2011 before about 5,000 returned in 2014 to fight ISIS.

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Al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, took office this year after emerging as a consensus candidate following months of political deadlock. Trump publicly backed his candidacy and opposed the return of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whom the administration viewed as too closely aligned with Iran.

During Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting, Trump repeatedly praised al-Zaidi, calling him “a great leader” and predicting his influence would extend “all throughout the Middle East.” Trump also claimed he had “played a role” in al-Zaidi’s rise to power and said his endorsement helped propel the Iraqi leader to victory.