Iran Claims a Victory as US Leaves Iraq

Twenty years after US troops first rolled into Iraq, they're about to roll out for good. The Pentagon is set to remove its remaining 2,500 service members from the country by Wednesday under a 2024 deal, an exit Baghdad is marking with four public holidays dubbed "Independence Day," per Reuters. The move closes a long chapter that began with the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, saw Americans withdraw in 2011, then return in 2014 to help beat back the Islamic State. NPR reports it will be a "quiet withdrawal" this time, with "no fanfare."

Who gains from the exit is under fierce debate. Iran and its allied militias are hailing what one commander called a "historic victory" and a "crushing defeat for the American project," with analysts warning those groups will try to turn momentum into greater sway over Iraq's politics and security. Others see danger in the vacuum: Some Sunni tribal leaders and Kurdish officials say Iraqi forces aren't fully ready, and report fresh activity by Islamic State sleeper cells since the withdrawal was announced. Iraqi officials say the group is plotting suicide attacks to coincide with the pullout, in a bid to show it can still strike.