Iraq is preparing for the potential spillover of Islamic State fighters across its border from Syria, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated Thursday. The warning comes one day after the U.S. military formally concluded its counter-ISIS mission in Iraq, marking the end of a military presence that has spanned more than two decades.
Hussein spoke to reporters in Washington, D.C., noting that Baghdad is closely monitoring recent ISIS activity in neighboring Syria. He emphasized that while Iraqi forces believe they can manage the threat without a large U.S.-led coalition, the movement of fighters across the border remains a significant security concern.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive analysts and Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the withdrawal leaves a security vacuum that could allow ISIS to regroup. They point to the recent dismantling of an ISIS cell in Syria by Syrian authorities, which involved arrests and the seizure of explosives prepared for attacks, as evidence that the threat persists.
Critics of the withdrawal argue that the Pentagon's assessment that ISIS is 'severely degraded' may underestimate the resilience of scattered cells operating across the Iraq-Syria border. They highlight that the U.S. continues counter-ISIS operations in Syria, suggesting that the threat is not fully neutralized. Some voices in this camp worry that the end of the coalition mission removes a key stabilizing force in the region, potentially emboldening other non-state actors.
What the Right Is Saying
President Donald Trump hailed the withdrawal as a decisive victory, stating that the terrorist group had been 'completely decimated.' 'We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home,' Trump said, framing the departure as a triumph for both the United States and Iraq.
Conservative commentators and Republican officials emphasize that the mission's original objective—to defeat the ISIS caliphate—has been achieved. They argue that maintaining a large U.S.-led coalition presence is no longer necessary and that Iraqi forces are capable of suppressing the remaining threat themselves. This perspective views the withdrawal as a return to normalcy in U.S. foreign policy, ending a costly and prolonged military engagement that began with the 2003 invasion.
What the Numbers Show
The withdrawal marks the end of Operation Inherent Resolve, which launched in 2014. The U.S. military mission in Iraq in various forms stretched across more than two decades. Since the 2003 invasion, nearly 4,500 U.S. service members were killed before the initial 2011 withdrawal. U.S. officials assess that ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq, though the group maintains scattered cells. The deadline for Iraq to bring Iran-backed militia groups under government control has slipped from September 30 to June 2027, as some factions resist disarmament. Baghdad and Washington have discussed the principle of a future bilateral security relationship, but details on training and intelligence sharing remain unresolved.
The Bottom Line
The formal end of the U.S.-led coalition mission shifts the primary responsibility for counter-terrorism in Iraq to Baghdad. While President Trump and Pentagon officials view the withdrawal as a success, Iraqi officials are actively preparing for potential cross-border threats from Syria. The next steps involve negotiating the specifics of a bilateral security relationship between the U.S. and Iraq, while Baghdad works to integrate Iran-backed militias into its state security apparatus. The coming months will test whether Iraqi forces can maintain stability without the large-scale international support that characterized the past decade.