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The headquarters of an Iranian opposition organisation in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, came under attack by two drones on Thursday. The attack caused material damage, but no casualties were reported, and the identity of the perpetrators has not been established.
Iraq is entering a new security and political phase after the end of the international coalition’s mission and the full transfer of responsibility for security to the Iraqi authorities. The transition comes amid debate over completing national sovereignty, placing weapons and decisions on war and peace under state control, and the continued influence of US instruments and Iran’s role in domestic affairs.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi set 30 June 2027 as the target date for completing the handover of faction weapons and integrating their fighters into official institutions, under a plan beginning with a 90-day de-escalation phase. He said groups that continued their armed activities after the deadline would be treated as outlaws.
Iraq has announced the end of the international coalition’s military mission, which began 12 years ago to fight Islamic State, with security cooperation shifting to bilateral frameworks. Baghdad reaffirmed its rejection of weapons outside the law, while Washington said it would continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi announced the end of the international coalition’s mission to fight Islamic State in Iraq, confirming that Iraqi forces would assume full responsibility for the country’s security. The announcement was made during an official ceremony in Baghdad, coinciding with the launch of Sovereignty Days and a public holiday running until 3 October.
US President Donald Trump said his country had left Iraq, leaving Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi to manage the next phase, after announcing the completion of the withdrawal of US troops and equipment from Erbil on 30 September. Washington said the withdrawal ends a 12-year military mission against Islamic State, while limited training and intelligence support for Baghdad will continue.
The United States will end its formal military operations in Iraq on 30 September, after moving personnel and equipment from Erbil. Washington will retain intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities in the region, reposition forces in Jordan and keep personnel to protect its diplomatic missions.
Director Reed Van Dyk’s ‘Atonement’ begins its limited release on 2 October, based on the true story of a former US Marine who sought to meet an Iraqi family that lost three members to US gunfire in Baghdad, before the meeting ended with the family forgiving him.
US forces are leaving Iraq after a war in which 4,500 of their soldiers were killed, amid estimates that the withdrawal will strengthen Iran’s allies as Washington wages war on Tehran. Iraqi security officials warned that the move could pave the way for the return of Islamic State.
The Iraqi government has begun new security and administrative arrangements in Sinjar, including registering weapons, discussing the integration of around 4,000 members of the Sinjar Resistance Units into the official forces, and returning nearly 30,000 displaced people. The moves coincide with an Iraqi-Turkish understanding on extending Baghdad’s authority and handing over the Zilkan military base to the federal forces.
Baghdad and Ankara have agreed that Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zlikan camp near Mosul to the Iraqi federal government under an agreed mechanism and timetable. The understanding also includes strengthening security cooperation, asserting Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of banned foreign armed groups, alongside advancing trade and joint strategic projects.
Iraqi sources reported an intensive security and political presence by the Houthi movement in Iraq, coordinated with Iraqi factions and Lebanese Hezbollah. They said the group uses joint security headquarters in Jurf al-Sakhar, while Haji Hamed, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official in charge of the Iraqi file, organises this presence.
Erbil has announced the unification of the Peshmerga forces under a single ministry, ending a longstanding military division between the two main Kurdish parties. Analysts say the move could support Baghdad’s efforts to place weapons under state control, while practical integration, dialogue with armed factions and protection of the military institution from political disputes remain challenges.
Sources have revealed new understandings to place the weapons of armed factions in Iraq under state control. They provide for the handover of strategic weapons to the government from March 2027 and the completion of the process by June that year, alongside the integration of faction brigades into the Popular Mobilisation Commission.
The Nineveh Health Directorate announced the death of Hajar, who succumbed to wounds and internal injuries sustained after falling into an abandoned well more than 15 metres deep. She died immediately after arriving at a hospital in Erbil, following a rescue operation that lasted about seven hours and ended with her being pulled out alive.
Iraqis are turning to herbalist shops for lower-cost alternatives to some medicines and products, while herbs remain part of inherited practices for treatment, prevention and personal care. Workers in the sector say demand includes mixtures for chest and digestive problems, as well as hair and skin care, but their preparations are not a substitute for medical consultation.
Iraqi authorities announced on Saturday the closure of several border crossings as part of administrative and security arrangements, alongside investigations and audits into breaches and violations recorded there. The Security Media Cell confirmed that travellers would continue to be received through the Zurbatiya and Mundhiriyah crossings.
Iraqi President Nizar Hamidi appointed businessman Ali Al-Zaidi to form the government on April 27, 2026, making him the youngest prime minister in the country's history facing economic challenges and complex regional balances.
