IRAN WAR NEWS 9-29-26

Top 10 Iraq War Developments — Past 24 Hours
September 29, 2026

Note: Iraq news right now is dominated by one hinge event — the U.S.-led coalition’s final troop withdrawal, completing September 30, 2026.
Several items below are drawn from reporting published September 28-30 covering that story’s fast-moving angles (security, diplomacy, militias); two (the Maysan drone/pipeline fallout and the Anbar militia/energy piece) are follow-on analysis of a September 11 incident still generating fresh coverage this week.
Genuinely new single-incident news was thinner than usual, so this list leans on the cluster of stories breaking around the withdrawal deadline itself.

Remaining U.S. forces are scheduled to exit Iraq’s last bases by September 30, 2026, ending a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
Deal originally struck in 2024 under the Biden administration, completed under Trump; Iraq has declared Sept 29-Oct 1 “Days of Sovereignty.”
Seven of 18 U.S. troops killed regionally during this year’s Iran war died in Iraq, underscoring the risk the pullout is meant to end.
Source: Reuters, via Just Security “Early Edition” — https://www.justsecurity.org/159195/early-edition-september-29-2026/

IRAQI COUNTERTERRORISM FORCES KILL ISIS FIGHTERS NEAR KIRKUK; BARZANI WARNS OF 2014 REPEAT

Iraq’s Counterterrorism Service killed two ISIS fighters wearing explosive belts in Altun Kupri, on the Kirkuk-Erbil road, September 28; a third was wounded and arrested, one civilian died, two CTS members injured.
Came two days before the coalition withdrawal deadline, fueling debate over Iraqi forces’ ability to hold the line alone.
KRG’s Masoud Barzani warned of repeating “the same scenario” as 2014, when ISIS overran roughly a third of the country.
Source: The National — https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/28/iraq-counterterror-forces-kill-isis-fighters-ahead-of-us-led-coalition-departure/

Kurdish officials say the region has absorbed 1,000+ drone/missile attacks since the U.S.-Israel-Iran war began in February, and warn the coalition’s exit leaves a security gap.
Sunni politician Atheel Al Nujaifi separately warned ISIS “remains active” and that current instability doesn’t justify a full pullout.
Iraq’s government is instead pursuing individual bilateral security deals with the U.S., NATO and others, and shopping for air-defense systems from South Korea, Turkey and the U.S.
Source: The National — https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/29/iraq-prepares-for-new-chapter-after-us-troop-withdrawal-as-security-concerns-remain/

Commander Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri called the U.S. exit “a historic victory for the Iraqi Islamic resistance groups and the Iraqi people.”
He said militias will mark Sept 30 as “the turning of a black page in Iraq’s history.”
Statement lands as Washington and Baghdad still spar over the timeline for militia disarmament.
Source: Reuters, via Just Security — https://www.justsecurity.org/159195/early-edition-september-29-2026/

PM Ali al-Zaidi’s government pushed the disarmament deadline for Iran-backed factions to June 30, 2027, with a 90-day halt on attacks to start September 30.
Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba are refusing to surrender weapons until foreign forces are fully gone; one militia official said “there is absolutely no decision among the factions to surrender weapons.”
Iraq is trying to fold factions under central command and confiscate “dynamic weapons” like missiles and long-range drones — seen as unlikely to happen on schedule.
Source: TimesLIVE — https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2026-09-15-as-last-us-troops-pack-up-in-iraq-militias-signal-their-weapons-will-stay/

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met PM al-Zaidi in New York September 21 during the UN General Assembly, days ahead of the pullout.
U.S. special envoy for Iraq Tom Barrack said the goal is that “only the state is the keeper of the military force” by end of June 2027.
Asaib Ahl al-Haq and other factions appear to be holding out for political concessions before disarming.
Source: Al-Monitor — https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/rubio-meets-iraqs-pm-remaining-us-troops-prepare-exit

Erdogan and al-Zaidi struck a deal at UNGA, September 24, for Turkey to gradually transfer its long-contested Bashiqa-Zelikan camp near Mosul to Iraqi control; no public timeline was set.
Turkey deployed to Bashiqa in 2015 to train anti-ISIS forces; Iraq has demanded its withdrawal for years.
Both sides also pledged to clear unauthorized armed groups from Sinjar and speed up the “Development Road” infrastructure project.
Source: The National — https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/24/turkey-agrees-to-hand-over-bashiqa-military-camp-to-iraq/

A September 11 drone strike that damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was traced to Iraq’s Maysan province, on the Iran border; Baghdad sacked the Maysan Operations commander and provincial police chief and briefly shut border crossings with Iran.
Residents describe Iran-backed factions as “more dominant and powerful everywhere in Maysan,” with a 40-km exclusion zone around the suspected launch site.
Critics note Baghdad has not acted against an Iran-backed Ansar Allah (Houthi) liaison presence reported to have 80+ members operating in the capital.
Source: Al-Monitor — https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/maysan-saudi-arabia-drone-attack-puts-iraqi-province-under-scrutiny

Shia armed groups tied to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq remain entrenched in Sunni-majority western Anbar despite ISIS’s defeat there nearly nine years ago, and are refusing to disarm.
Securing the province is described as “a key test” of Baghdad’s ability to curb militias, attract foreign investment and develop Anbar’s energy potential.
Cross-border smuggling dynamics shifted after the Assad government’s fall in December 2024, but Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Units are still reported involved.
Source: Al-Monitor — https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/how-militias-anbar-could-complicate-iraqs-energy-ambitions

With the multinational coalition mission ending, Iraq intends to substitute a web of individual security agreements with the U.S., NATO members and other partners.
Government messaging frames September 30 as proof Iraqi forces can independently handle security and counterterrorism.
Plans include new air-defense purchases from South Korea, Turkey and the U.S. to cover the gap left by departing coalition assets.
Source: The National — https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/29/iraq-prepares-for-new-chapter-after-us-troop-withdrawal-as-security-concerns-remain/