Ministry of Defense: September 30 is the deadline for the coalition’s withdrawal, and our forces are capable of managing security and protecting the borders.
Ministry of Defense: September 30 is the deadline for the coalition’s withdrawal, and our forces are capable of managing security and protecting the borders.
8-23-2026
Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, Director of Moral Guidance Media at the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that September 30th is the final date for the withdrawal of the international coalition forces according to the specified timetables. He stressed the complete readiness of the security forces to protect the country and manage the security file. Major General al-Khafaji told the official agency, “September 30th is a final date and within the timetables set by the Iraqi state in agreement with the international coalition. This matter was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of prior planning and work being carried out according to these committed timetables.” He pointed out that “as the Prime Minister noted, this day will be a national, sovereign, and special day for Iraqis.”
In response to questions about the impact of the withdrawal, he added that “the Iraqi army, the Ministries of Defense and Interior, and all security forces have undergone a series of tests and challenges that have proven to everyone their ability to protect the country and its borders and to manage and take over the security file,” explaining that “the security forces have carried out extensive operations to pursue terrorism, and have built a very sophisticated intelligence system that has reached its strongholds, in addition to successfully managing the millions of visitors, national and religious events, and international and regional conferences, which proves their full competence to bear responsibility.”
Regarding the future of military cooperation, Al-Khafaji explained that “the relationship with the international coalition was founded on fighting ISIS terrorist gangs, achieving victory over them, and ending this operation,” noting that “Iraq is free to choose training, arming, and cooperation paths with any country in the world, and that the advanced and major countries that helped Iraq will continue to cooperate in the areas of arming and capacity building.” He added that “the security establishment continues to train its units according to the highest standards adopted in international schools, with direct interest from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in arming the security system, foremost among them the Ministry of Defense, and especially the Air Force, Army Aviation, and Air Defense,” stressing that “this file is sovereign and specific to Iraq.”
Al-Khafaji also stressed that “Iraq’s message to the world confirms that the army, the Ministries of Defense and Interior, the security leaderships, and the Popular Mobilization Forces represent an advanced security system that works in joint coordination and is capable of protecting the country with high capabilities,” reiterating that “there is no place for terrorists again in Iraq, and that the borders and the people are safe, and protecting the security of the homeland is an internal matter managed efficiently by the security forces.”
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