US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the last American forces were leaving Iraq, describing the withdrawal as the end of a prolonged US involvement that he blamed on poor past decisions.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iraq would be left under the leadership of Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi. The president described Zaidi as “wonderful” and said he had “fully endorsed” the Iraqi leader, according to Middle East Eye.
Trump also expressed confidence in the prime minister’s ability to oversee developments after the departure of US personnel, saying Zaidi would “hopefully be able to handle things very well”. The remarks linked the withdrawal of the remaining American forces to the Iraqi leader’s role in managing the country after the US exit.
The US president presented the pullout as the close of a lengthy chapter. Referring to Washington’s involvement in Iraq, Trump wrote that it “has been a long time, with very bad decision-making that got us involved in this quagmire in the first place, but soon, that will be part of History”.
Trump’s statement did not provide further details about the withdrawing forces, including their number, location or the precise timetable for their departure. It also did not outline any additional arrangements connected to the pullout. His post focused instead on the final withdrawal, his criticism of the decisions that led to US involvement and his support for Zaidi.
The announcement framed the departure as both an immediate military development and a broader conclusion to the US role described by Trump. His comments emphasised that the remaining American forces were in the process of pulling out and that the period of involvement would soon belong to the past.
Middle East Eye reported the remarks as part of its live coverage. Based on the president’s statement, the withdrawal was under way on Wednesday, while responsibility for handling Iraq’s affairs would rest with Zaidi, whom Trump publicly backed in announcing the US exit.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/trump-says-us-leaves-iraq-new-prime-minister-handle-things.