Baghdad Says Coalition Forces Leave by September 30 as Syrian Kurdish Command Announces Dissolution

Iran's state news agency IRNA reported in Farsi that the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the dissolution of all military and civilian institutions affiliated with the group, and that Iraq's prime minister said the country will declare complete sovereignty over its territory on September 30 when the United States-led international coalition withdraws. The IRNA report presents both as steps toward removing American influence from the region.

The withdrawal date itself is not disputed. Al Jazeera reported earlier this month that Baghdad considers September 30 final, and RT reported that Iraq is holding firm to it. Under the 2024 agreement, the coalition mission ends and any continuing American presence shifts to bilateral arrangements covering training, intelligence sharing and arms sales. Iraqi officials have linked disarming domestic armed factions to the coalition's departure, arguing that groups treating the coalition as an occupying force will not surrender weapons while it remains.

The timing places an American drawdown in Iraq alongside active American strikes on Iran, roughly 1,000 kilometres away. Washington is reducing its declared presence in one country while expanding operations against another in the same region.