Trump Hails Complete U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq as 'Victory for U.S. and Iraq'

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded the completion of the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq on the 30th (local time) as a victory for both the United States and Iraq.

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social that day, President Trump stated, "I am pleased to announce that the last U.S. service members have left Iraq," adding, "It has been a long time since the very bad decision that got us bogged down in the first place, but soon it will be a page in history."

He went on to praise the milestone, saying, "Today is a great day for America," and describing it as "a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq, and a decisive victory against ISIS."

Comparing it to the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Joe Biden administration—which saw the deaths of 13 U.S. service members—President Trump emphasized, "I set a clear mission, provided commanders with the means to accomplish it, and did not allow a temporary presence to become a permanent one."

He elaborated, "I had to choose whether to stay or leave, and I felt without a doubt that it was time for the United States to withdraw."

He also stressed that the operations in Iraq—which began under President George W. Bush and continued through the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations—have come to an end under his leadership.

President Trump added that he has supported Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani from the beginning and hopes he will handle the situation well.

President Trump's social media messages are interpreted as targeting conservative factions critical of U.S. military interventions in foreign conflicts.

In effect, he positioned himself as a problem-solver while criticizing Democratic administrations for neglecting the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq.

The agreement for the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was reached in September 2024 during the Biden administration.

Concerns have also been raised that the withdrawal of U.S. forces could deepen Iraq's political instability as pro-Iranian militias expand their influence.

The United States invaded Iraq in March 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein's regime, declared an end to major combat operations in May, and withdrew its troops in December 2011.

After the rise of the Sunni extremist group ISIS, U.S. troops were sent back to Iraq in June 2014.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.