# U.S. Closes Last Base in Iraq as Centcom Ends Military Mission

*Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 4:09 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-30T16:09:54.197Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19254.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: U.S. Central Command says the United States has ended its military mission in Iraq, with all forces and equipment departing Erbil Air Base, the last American installation in the country.

The United States has shut down its final military base in Iraq, bringing its mission in the country to an official close.

On 30 September, U.S. Central Command announced that the U.S. has ended its military mission in Iraq and that all forces and equipment have departed Erbil Air Base. The base, located in the Kurdish region, was the last American installation in Iraq.

A separate summary of the conflict noted that over 23 years, the war in Iraq cost about $1.7 trillion and around 4,500 American lives. The U.S. invaded Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that were not found, later withdrew, then returned to fight the Islamic State group before now leaving again.

Erbil Air Base had served as a hub for U.S. operations, including support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces and strikes against ISIS. Its closure marks a shift in day-to-day security responsibilities onto local forces that have relied on U.S. intelligence, air support and logistics.

The end of the U.S. mission changes the balance of forces inside Iraq. Iran-aligned militias, the Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities will now operate without a permanent American base in the country.

For Washington, closing Erbil Air Base is part of a broader move away from large, long-term ground deployments in Iraq, even as U.S. forces remain active elsewhere in the region.

Signals to watch include how effectively Iraqi and Kurdish forces contain ISIS cells without U.S. troops on the ground, whether American forces based outside Iraq continue to conduct strikes inside the country, and how Iran-aligned armed groups adjust their activities in the absence of a major U.S. installation.