WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday (early Thursday in the Gulf) that the last American forces have left Iraq, declaring the end of the long-running US mission against the Daesh (Islamic State) group.
He predicted that the separate war with Iran would be over “very soon.”
Trump has publicly framed the Iraq pullout as a “victory” and the “end of an excursion from hell,” saying he chose to “go home” rather than stay.
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Speaking at the White House and in posts on Truth Social, Trump called the withdrawal from Erbil Air Base a “victory for the United States” and “a decisive victory over ISIS,” saying Operation Inherent Resolve was concluding under his leadership.
Trump predicts quick US win in Iran war
On Iran, Trump told reporters the United States would “win” the conflict quickly and that fuel prices would fall sharply once the war ended, though he gave no specifics on how or when hostilities would stop.
US Central Command said American troops and equipment had completed an “orderly departure” from northern Iraq, while Trump said he had chosen to “go home” rather than extend the mission.
On the Iran front, Trump has repeatedly told reporters the US will win the war “very soon,” adding that “things” will happen “very soon” but offering no concrete timeline or details.
Trump has linked an expected US “win” in Iran to falling gasoline prices, claiming costs will tumble once the conflict ends.
The Pentagon and US Central Command confirmed the orderly departure from Erbil, while critics online have contrasted Trump’s celebratory tone with ongoing US combat operations and casualties in the Iran war.
US officials have spoken with mediators in New York about ending the war, though Iranian officials have at times denied that formal talks are underway.
