The US has withdrawn its Patriot air defense systems from Iraq and the remaining 2,000 American troops stationed at Harir Air Base in the Kurdistan Region are set to leave by September 30, 2026. US forces completed their withdrawal from federal Iraqi territory by January 19, 2026, vacating installations including al-Asad Airbase. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed the timeline during a meeting with President Donald Trump on July 14, 2026, as part of a bilateral agreement reached in September 2024. As OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq’s evolving security posture carries significant implications for energy markets and broader risk sentiment affecting assets like crypto.
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