Sean's Daily News Digest
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4 updates·since 29 Sep 2026
US ends military mission in Iraq
The story so farAnalysts say the end of the US military mission in Iraq could give Baghdad more room for diversified partnerships and could indirectly benefit China's energy and commercial interests.
Still watching
- Will Iraq's diversified partnerships extend to deeper energy and commercial ties with China?
- What reservations do analysts have about Baghdad's room to diversify its partnerships after the US withdrawal?
- Will the US permission to resume Iraq-Iran flights be expanded into broader sanctions relief or exemptions for Iraq?
- Will Iran-backed militias in Iraq agree to disarm, or will their refusal destabilize the country's power balance?
- How will Iraq manage its position between Washington and Tehran after the withdrawal?
- What was the content of the US response to Iran's ceasefire proposal, and will the blockade and Strait of Hormuz deal be accepted?
How it developed
US ends military mission in Iraq
- Analysts say the end of the US military mission in Iraq could give Baghdad more room for diversified partnerships and could indirectly benefit China's energy and commercial interests.
US troops leave Iraq as Iran-aligned militias refuse disarmament
- Iran-aligned militias in Iraq are refusing the agreed disarmament after the last US troops left following 23 years, and the country, with its complicated power structure, is starting to wobble, according to a German-language report.
- Iraq's prime minister says Iraq has won US permission to resume flights to Iran, which had been halted after broad US penalties on Iran's aviation industry.
- The US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, 23 years after the 2003 'shock and awe' campaign launched under President George W. Bush.
US forces withdraw from Iraq after two decades
- The last US troops left Iraq on Wednesday, ending the American military mission against Islamic State and, per reports, the coalition presence including the final UK and US forces, under a deal agreed with Baghdad two years ago.
- Baghdad touted the end of the US mission as a sign of Iraq's growing strength and sovereignty, and Iraqis marked the start of a four-day Sovereignty Day holiday with night-time celebrations.
- Reactions in Iraq are divided: the move was celebrated by Iran-backed groups, while some other Iraqis found it concerning, and security was heightened in the capital.
US forces exit Iraq
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