Iraq begins a new chapter as the US-led coalition called it quits after more than a decade of its mission to help save the country from militant groups.

“Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Wednesday.

Regardless of what it achieved during its stay in Iraq for 12 years, the coalition would find it little in any case to boast about. Iran-backed militias that often targeted the US base in Iraq will now have the upper hand, giving more space for Iranian influence. Iran will remain a challenge for both the US and Iraq.

In other words, Iran is spreading its wings of sway at a time when Washington is opting to shrink its space and influence.

Baghdad had invited US forces in 2014 to help defeat ISIS. Yet, after such a long period of their stay, the coalition’s anti-ISIS drive, Operation Inherent Resolve, remains unresolved. ISIS is down but not out. Its sleeper cells are still active and one cannot be sure if Iraqi forces will be able to manage the country's own security.

Parnell, however, claims that the "departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq".

The Iraqi government, meanwhile, considered it a landmark event and decided to mark 30 Sept. and 1 October as “Sovereignty Days,” announcing a public holiday on these two days.

Only time will tell which way the wind blows.