Iraq’s Cabinet has declared a four-day holiday in state institutions from September 30th through October 3rd 2026 to mark the country’s “Sovereignty Days,” Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s media office said.
Iraq is expected to mark the completion of the US-led Coalition’s military withdrawal on September 30th 2026, following the handover of its remaining bases and facilities to Iraqi authorities.
Iraq and the United States agreed in September 2024 to end the US-led Coalition’s military mission against ISIS in Iraq through a phased plan shifting bilateral security relations from the Coalition framework to a direct partnership.
The first phase ended in September 2025, while Coalition forces remained in the Kurdistan Region to support operations against ISIS in Syria, with the final phase scheduled for completion by the end of September 2026.
The Global Coalition was formed in 2014 to support Iraqi forces against ISIS after the group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Its role later shifted largely to training, advising and intelligence support.
