Al-Zaidi also vowed to prevent Iraqi territory from being used for actions threatening neighboring countries. Iran-aligned factions continue to resist disarmament: Ashab al-Kahf declared that “the issue of handing over weapons is an illusion” and threatened a military response to any foreign presence on the ground or in the air.
The deadline came a day after US Central Command completed the departure of forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base on September 30, ending the 12 year Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq. US service members remain in diplomatic support, embassy security and training or advisory roles. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards hailed the withdrawal on Thursday as the beginning of a broader American retreat, saying, “The expulsion of the United States from Iraq is the beginning of their expulsion from all of West Asia.”