By Sophia Gonzalez

In U.S. political talk, Iraq is often treated as a “finished chapter.” The invasion is history, the occupation is history, and even the war against ISIS is presented as something largely completed. Yet in 2025, Iraqis are still living with the consequences of decisions made in Washington, and U.S. power in their country is not disappearing – it is simply changing shape.

In September 2024, the United States and Iraq announced that the U.S.-led coalition’s military mission would end by September 2025 and evolve into a bilateral security arrangement, with hundreds of troops expected to leave and most of the rest by the end of 2026. But that announcement was never a promise of full withdrawal. It was a plan to rebrand and resize the presence, not to end it.

By October 202

See Full Page