BAGHDAD – Ali al-Zaidi, Iraqi prime minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, on Wednesday officially announced the conclusion of the US-led international coalition's mission to combat the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.

He made the announcement during an official ceremony in Baghdad marking Iraq's Sovereignty Day and the conclusion of the coalition's mission, according to a statement from al-Zaidi's media office.

"We announce the conclusion of the international coalition's mission to combat IS, demonstrating that cooperation among friendly forces and peoples has resulted in victory over one of the darkest chapters of extremism and brutality in history," al-Zaidi said.

He thanked the countries participating in the coalition, as well as its commanders, officers, trainers and advisers who had worked alongside Iraqi security forces.

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"The conclusion of the international coalition's mission does not mean the end of our battle against terrorism. Rather, it marks Iraq's transition to a phase in which it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability," al-Zaidi said.

He added that the transfer of joint operations tasks to the office of the commander-in-chief represented an institutional framework for managing the effort under the authority and supreme leadership of the state.

"We reach a significant milestone today: the conclusion of the international coalition's mission and the presence of its forces," Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said on his official X page, noting that the conclusion of the coalition's mission does not signify the end of the partnership; rather, it marks a transition to more robust bilateral relations.

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The US-led international coalition was formed in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces in fighting the IS group after the extremist group seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces, backed by the coalition, later defeated the group's territorial presence in Iraq in 2017, while the coalition continued operations against its remaining militants.

The move follows a joint statement by Iraq and the United States in September 2024, which set a timetable to end the coalition's mission in Iraq.