Shafaq News- Baghdad
Akram Al-Kaabi, secretary-general of Iraq’s Harakat Al-Nujaba*, one of the country’s most hardline Iran-backed factions, warned on Wednesday that the group would confront US forces if Washington fails to complete its planned military withdrawal by September 30.
“We are watching September 30 with full readiness, enthusiasm, and preparation to wage a decisive battle against the occupying forces if they renege on their commitment to withdraw completely by land and air,” Al-Kaabi said. “If even one soldier remains after that date, we will not let him return safely and will send him back to them as a corpse.”
— الشيخ اكرم الكعبي (@Akram_Alkabee) September 2, 2026
He also criticized US President Donald Trump, arguing that he would not be allowed to claim a victory in Iraq after having “failed to achieve one in Iran.”
Read more: Tension meets dialogue as Iraq approaches September 30
Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to wind down the US-led Global Coalition’s military mission under a two-phase plan. The first concluded in September 2025 with troops departing Baghdad and Ain Al-Asad air base in western Iraq, while a contingent remained in the Kurdistan Region to support operations against ISIS in Syria. The second is scheduled to end on September 30, 2026.
The two governments, however, differ over what follows. Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi maintains that Iraq will be free of foreign military forces from October 1, while a senior US administration official told Shafaq News last week that the Coalition mission would be “reduced, not ended,” with security ties shifting toward a longer-term bilateral partnership.
Around 2,500 US troops have been stationed in Iraq as part of the Coalition.
Read more: Iraqi Army after US-led Coalition withdrawal
* Harakat Al-Nujaba, led by US-designated Akram Al-Kaabi, is part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of Iran-aligned factions seeking the withdrawal of US forces from the country. Unlike allied groups such as Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, whose Sadiqoun bloc holds 27 parliamentary seats, and Kataib Hezbollah, which is represented by the six-seat Hoqooq bloc, Al-Nujaba has no registered political wing or seats in the Council of Representatives.