U.S.-led intervention with a captured
ISIL flag during the intervention. After having started flying crewed aircraft over
Iraq and sending some troops in June, in August 2014 the
US military began supplying Iraqi Kurdish
Peshmerga with weapons, dropping food for refugees fleeing from ISIL, and airstrikes against ISIL in
Iraq. On 9 August, speaking about U.S. airstrikes in
Iraq, President
Barack Obama said "this is going to be a long-term project." Since then, nine countries allied with the
US have also executed airstrikes on ISIL in Iraq, and various countries have contributed military and humanitarian aid to
Iraqi government and Iraqi Kurdish ground forces. On 16–19 August, according to the U.S., Iraqi government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga, with the help of U.S. airstrikes, took back the
Mosul Dam, the largest dam in
Iraq. (For further wins and losses in Iraq against ISIL, see
War in Iraq (2014–2017)). President Obama announced on 10 September 2014 that the number of airstrikes in Iraq would increase and that he had dispatched 500 more US troops there. On 10 September 2019,
US Air Force F-35s and
F-15E Strike Eagles dropped bombs weighing 36,000 kg on an
Iraqi island "infested" by ISIS.
Military aid On 5 August 2014,
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former
US ambassador to Iraq and the
UN, wrote in the
Washington Post that the
United States is involved in "the direct supply of munitions to the
Kurds and, with Baghdad's agreement, the shipment of some
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program weapons to the Kurds." The United States moved from indirectly supplying
Kurdistan with small arms through the
CIA to directly giving them weapons such as
man-portable anti-tank systems. In a coordinated effort led by the
United States, many allied countries including
NATO members and Middle Eastern partners have supplied or plan to supply Iraqi and/or Kurdish forces with heavy military equipment, small arms, ammunition, non-lethal military gear, and training support. The
Building Partner Capacity (BPC) program is meant to help the
Iraqi government to prepare forces for the counter-attack against ISIL and the regaining of its territory. According to the
US Department of Defense, by May 2015 a dozen countries had committed themselves to the BPC program:
Australia,
Belgium,
Canada,
Denmark,
France,
Germany,
Italy,
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Norway,
Spain,
United Kingdom and United States, and 6,500 Iraqi forces had been trained by BPC.
Humanitarian efforts on 8 August 2014. The
United States, the
United Kingdom, and
Australia, supported by international partners, launched a large humanitarian effort to support refugees stranded in northern Iraq. This included air-dropping tens of thousands of meals and thousands of gallons of drinking water to
Yazidi refugees stranded in the
Sinjar Mountains and threatened by advancing ISIL forces, between 7–14 August 2014, in what was later described as "the first mass air delivery of humanitarian cargo since the
outbreak of violence in
East Timor in 1999." Thousands of
Yazidis and other Iraqi civilians fled to the area following attacks on their villages and the town of
Sinjar throughout late July and early August 2014. Several human rights and observer organizations in the region reported that those who fled to the mountains were subjected to starvation, and lacked clean drinking water and medical care for several months as ISIL
militants surrounded them. Hundreds of men, women, and children were abducted and killed. In response to the immediate threat to the approximately 30,000 people trapped on the mountain, coalition aircraft commenced humanitarian aid drops. These air drops included basic supplies such as food, water, and shelter and were conducted at low flight levels by coalition transport aircraft under the threat of ISIL surface-to-air attacks. In direct support of humanitarian aid drops,
CF-18s provided top cover for a
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on 20 November, ensuring the transport crew was able to safely parachute supplies to waiting refugees below.
Canadian fighter jets remained in close proximity to the transport aircraft to protect it from ISIL
surface-to-air threats or attacks.
U.S. military operations Unlike their coalition partners, and unlike previous American combat operations, no name was initially given to the 2014 intervention against ISIL by the
U.S. government. The decision to keep the conflict nameless drew considerable media criticism. U.S. Service members remain ineligible for Campaign Medals and other service decorations due to the continuing ambiguous nature of the continuing U.S. involvement in Iraq. On 15 October 2014, the
United States Central Command announced that the U.S.-led air campaign against ISIL in
Iraq and
Syria was henceforth designated as
Operation Inherent Resolve. The CENTCOM news release noted: "According to CENTCOM officials, the name INHERENT RESOLVE is intended to reflect the unwavering resolve and deep commitment of the U.S. and partner nations in the region and around the globe to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community. It also symbolizes the willingness and dedication of coalition members to work closely with our friends in the region and apply all available dimensions of national power necessary—diplomatic, informational, military, economic—to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL." On 7 August, President Obama gave a live address describing the worsening conditions in
Iraq and that
the plight of the
Yazidis particular had convinced him that
U.S. military action was necessary to protect American lives, protect minority groups in
Iraq, and to stop a possible ISIL advance on
Erbil, the capital of the
Kurdish Autonomous Region. On 8 August, the
United States started to bomb ISIL targets in Iraq. By 10 August, assisted by these air attacks, Kurdish forces claimed to have recaptured the towns of Mahmour and Gweyr from Islamic State control. Additional Iraqi airstrikes conducted in
Sinjar were reported to have killed 45 ISIL militants and injured an additional 60 militants. On 11 August, a spokesperson for
The Pentagon said the airstrikes had slowed down ISIL's advance in northern Iraq, but were unlikely to degrade ISIL's capabilities or operations in other areas. Between 8 and 13 August, U.S. airstrikes and Kurdish ground forces enabled 35,000 to 45,000 of Yazidi refugees to escape or be evacuated from the
Sinjar Mountains. On 16 August, U.S. air power began a
close air campaign aimed at supporting the advance of Kurdish fighters moving toward the
Mosul Dam. Kurdish sources commented that it was the "heaviest US bombing of militant positions since the start of air strikes". President Obama on 17 August defended this usage of U.S. Forces as support of the Iraqi and Kurdish fight in general against ISIL—which indeed went beyond Obama's reasoning for launching airstrikes on 7 August. On 8 September, the
Iraqi Army, with close air support from the
U.S., retook the key
Haditha Dam, and recaptured the town of
Barwanah, killing 15 ISIL fighters. ISIL responded with the public execution of
David Haines. By the end of September 2014, the United States had conducted 240 airstrikes in
Iraq and
Syria, as well as 1,300 tanker refueling missions, totaling 3,800 sorties by all types of aircraft. A tactical arrangement with Kurdish and Iraqi forces, and drone videos are being used to coordinate close air support without needing U.S. troops in ground combat. On 19 December 2014, US General James Terry announced that the number of US airstrikes on ISIL had increased to 1,361. On 25 December 2014, Hassan Saeed Al-Jabouri, the ISIL governor of
Mosul, who was also known as Abu Taluut, was killed by a US-led Coalition airstrike in Mosul. It was also reported that the
US planned to retake the city of Mosul in January 2015. On 15 January 2015, it was reported that over 16,000 airstrikes had been carried out by the Coalition. The
U.S. Air Force has carried out around 60 percent of all strikes. Among them,
F-16s performed 41 percent of all sorties, followed by the
F-15E at 37 percent, then the
A-10 at 11 percent, the
B-1 bomber at eight percent, and the
F-22 at 3 percent. The remaining 40 percent has been carried out by the
US Navy and allied nations. On 20 January 2015, the
SOHR reported that al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL, had been wounded in an airstrike in
Al-Qa'im, an Iraqi border town held by ISIL, and as a result, withdrew to
Syria. On 21 January 2015, the US began coordinating airstrikes with a Kurdish launched offensive, to help them begin the planned operation to retake the city of
Mosul. On 21 July 2015, it was reported that nearly 44,000 sorties have flown since August 2014. Throughout 2015, the vast majority of bombs and missiles launched by the
US (approximately 22,000 of 23,000 total) were directed at targets in
Iraq and
Syria, according to the
Council on Foreign Relations. In 2016, the
Pulse nightclub shooting was carried out in retaliation for the U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. In 2019
U.S military carried out an airstrike in
Baghuz town in
Syria leading to death of 64 women and children, marking the largest civilian casualty incidents of the war against the
Islamic State. The incident was concealed by the U.S. military and it was reported by
the New York Times for the first time on November 14, 2021. In June 2020, coalition aircraft destroyed three ISIL camps in northern Iraq.
U.S. ground forces In July, President Obama announced that due to the continuing violence in
Iraq and the growing influence of non-state organizations, such as the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the
United States would be elevating its security commitment in the region. Approximately 800 U.S. troops secured American installations like the
Embassy in Baghdad and the Consulate in
Erbil as well as taking control of strategic locations like the
Baghdad airport in cooperation with Iraqi troops. U.S. forces also undertook a mission to "assess and to advise
[Iraqi security forces] as they confront [ISIL] and the complex security situation on the ground." Reports from these American units about the capabilities of the Iraqi military have been consistently grim, viewing them as "compromised" by sectarian interests. On 13 August 2014, the
U.S. deployed another 130 military advisers to Northern Iraq and up to 20
U.S. Marines and special forces servicemen landed on
Mount Sinjar from
V-22 aircraft to coordinate the evacuation of
Yazidi refugees joining British
SAS already in the area. On 3 September 2014, Obama announced increase of U.S. forces in
Iraq to 1,213. On 10 September, Obama gave a speech reiterating that U.S. troops will not fight in combat, but about 500 more troops will be sent to Iraq to help train Iraqi forces. By early December 2014, the number of U.S. ground troops in Iraq had increased to 3,100. On 9 December 2014, the
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations authorized U.S. military force against
ISIL. However, it limits military force to three years, requires the administration to report to
Congress every 60 days, and prohibits the deployment of U.S. combat troops, except in specific cases, such as those involving the rescue or protection of U.S. soldiers, or for intelligence operations. during the
Battle of Mosul, 7 March 2017 During the early morning hours of 14 December 2014, U.S. ground forces allegedly clashed with
ISIL alongside the
Iraqi Army and Tribal Forces near the
Ain al-Assad Airbase, west of
Anbar, in an attempt to repel them from the base of which includes about 100 U.S. advisers in it, when ISIL attempted to overrun the base. According to a field commander of the
Iraqi Army in
Al Anbar Governorate, said that "the U.S. force equipped with light and medium weapons, supported by
F-18, was able to inflict casualties against fighters of ISIL organization, and forced them to retreat from the al-Dolab area, which lies 10 kilometers from Ain al-Assad base." Sheikh Mahmud Nimrawi, a prominent tribal leader in the region, added that "U.S. forces intervened because of ISIL started to come near the base, which they are stationed in so out of self-defense," he responded, welcoming the U.S. intervention, and saying "which I hope will not be the last." This was said to be the first encounter between the
United States and the
Islamic State,
in four years. However, this claim has been stated to be "false" by
The Pentagon. On 5 January 2015,
The Pentagon acknowledged that ISIL had been
ineffectively mortaring the base. In late February 2015, another 1,300 US soldiers were deployed to
Iraq, increasing the number of US ground troops in Iraq to 4,400. On 9 March 2020, the Pentagon released a statement claiming that two
American Marines were killed on 8 March 2020 during an anti-ISIS operation in a mountainous area of north central Iraq. Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for the OIR coalition, later identified the Marines as Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, 34, of
Simi Valley,
California, and Capt. Moises A. Navas, 34, of
Germantown,
Maryland, who were also MARSOC Raiders, and that they died during an operation which also claimed the lives of four ISIS fighters during an American-led operation which involved clearing an ISIS cave complex in the Makhmur Mountains, south of
Erbil. The coalition officially concluded its combat mission in Iraq on 9 December 2021, but U.S. troops remained in Iraq to advise, train, and assist
Iraqi security forces against the ongoing
ISIL insurgency, including providing air support and military aid.
Australian airstrikes On 3 October 2014,
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the
Australian Cabinet approved for
RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter bombers to begin airstrikes against Islamic State militants. Abbott said "It is in our national interest that we do so, it is in the interests of civilisation that we do so. It is in everyone's best interests that the murderous rage of the ISIL death cult be checked and rolled back and that's what we're determined to do." On 6 October, Air Chief Marshal
Mark Binskin announced two Super Hornets had conducted armed combat missions over
Iraq although no armaments were expended. An Australian Air task Group KC-30A and an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft have also been flying in support to fighter bombers belonging to coalition forces. The KC-30A performs airborne refueling for coalition aircraft. Binskin said "One of our Super Hornet packages on the first night ... had an identified target which it was tracking and that particular target moved into an urban area where the risks of conducting a strike on that target increased to a point where it exceeded our expectations of collateral damage, so they discontinued the attack at that point." On 9 October, Prime Minister
Tony Abbott confirmed that
RAAF Super Hornets had been involved in a "strike missions on an ISIL position in Iraq". The aircraft dropped two bombs onto an isolated building which ISIL was using as a command and control center. Fighters Enter Turkey Towards
Kobanî after the
Kurdistan Regional Government got Permission from
Turkey. As of 17 October, the
Royal Australian Air Force had conducted 43 combat sorties over Iraq. Recent strikes had targeted equipment facilities, with "at least two" resulting in ISIL casualties after Australian aircraft had increased the number of missions flown to allow
U.S. and coalition forces to assist Kurdish fighters around
Kobanî, in northern Syria. After more than 2 years of involvement in the coalition,
Australia announced the end of its airstrikes in
Iraq, after informing Iraq and other allies.
British airstrikes over Iraq on an armed reconnaissance mission. On 12 August 2014, the
United Kingdom deployed six
Tornado GR4 strike aircraft to
RAF Akrotiri in
Cyprus to help coordinate its humanitarian aid airdrops in Northern Iraq. On 16 August 2014, following the completion of humanitarian aid airdrops, the Tornado GR4s, along with an
RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft, were re-tasked to provide aerial surveillance to coalition forces. In early September 2014,
British Prime Minister David Cameron began voicing his support for British airstrikes against ISIL in
Iraq. Weeks later,
Parliament was recalled and Members debated whether or not to authorise airstrikes. The seven-hour debate resulted in overwhelming support for airstrikes, with 524 votes in favour and 43 votes against. On 27 September 2014, the first armed sortie took place over
Iraq. A pair of Tornado GR4s left
Cyprus armed with laser-guided bombs, supported by a
Voyager aerial refueling tanker. Ultimately, the aircraft did not locate any targets requiring immediate air attack and so gathered intelligence for coalition forces instead. The
Royal Air Force (RAF) conducted its first airstrike on 30 September 2014. A pair of Tornado GR4s engaged an ISIL heavy weapon position and an armed pickup truck using a laser-guided bomb and air-to-surface missile. On 3 October 2014, the
RAF deployed two additional Tornado aircraft to bring its deployed fleet up to eight aircraft. During the same month, it was also confirmed that the
Royal Navy was involved in anti-ISIL operations in a support role, with air defence destroyer providing escort to
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier as she launched aircraft into
Iraq and
Syria.
Nick Clegg, then
Deputy Prime Minister, also disclosed during an interview that there was a nuclear attack submarine armed with
Tomahawk cruise missiles deployed to the region. On 16 October 2014, the
Ministry of Defence announced it would deploy
MQ-9 Reaper drones to assist with surveillance, although,
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon stated that the drones could also conduct airstrikes if required. The first Reaper drone strike occurred weeks later in
Bayji, north of
Baghdad, against a group of ISIL militants which had been laying improvised explosive devices. As of September 2015, a year after operations first began, more than 330 ISIL fighters had been killed by British airstrikes in
Iraq, without any civilian casualties. In addition to operations over
Iraq, the
United Kingdom had also intervened in
Syria by 21 October 2014, making it the first Western country, other than the
United States, to do so. However, British aircraft were not permitted to carrying out airstrikes until
Parliament had voted to give its authorization. Despite this, the
Royal Air Force carried out a drone strike in Syria on 21 August 2015, against two UK-born ISIL fighters which had been plotting attacks against the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that it was a lawful act of self-defense. 's territory, in grey, at the time of its greatest territorial extent in May 2015 Since the authorization of airstrikes in
Iraq, Prime Minister David Cameron had made persistent calls for airstrikes in
Syria; however, he affirmed that no airstrikes would take place until after a vote in Parliament. On 2 December 2015, following the
November 2015 Paris attacks and
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249, David Cameron opened a ten-hour debate in Parliament on Syrian airstrikes, which ended with a final vote. 397
MPs voted in favour of airstrikes, whilst 223 voted against. Airstrikes commenced two hours after the vote, taking place in eastern Syria against the ISIL-held Oman oilfield. In December 2016, the
Telegraph reported that Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon said "The
British Army have trained over 31,000 Iraqi and
Peshmerga who are taking the fight to Daesh" It was also reported that the Royal Air Force is operating at its most intense for 25 years in a single theatre of operation which far outstripped the UK involvement in the
Iraq War and the
War in Afghanistan (2001–2014), with RAF jets having dropped 11 times more bombs on
Syria and
Iraq in the preceding 12 months than they had in the busiest year of action in
Afghanistan a decade previously. The Canadian contribution was code-named Operation Impact by the
Canadian Department of National Defence. Canadian aircraft left for the
Middle East to join in airstrikes on 21 October 2014. In total, six
CF-18 fighter jets, an
Airbus CC-150 Polaris air-to-air refueling tanker and two
CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft were sent, along with 700 military personnel. Canadian
CF-18 fighter jets completed their first operational flights departing from
Kuwait on 31 October. The first Canadian airstrikes began on 2 November.
Canada also flew an extra CF-18 to Kuwait to be used as a spare if the need arises, however a maximum of six are authorized to fly with the coalition missions. On 4 November 2014,
Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s destroyed ISIL construction equipment using
GBU-12 bombs. The construction equipment was being used to divert the
Euphrates River to deny villages water, and to flood roads, diverting traffic to areas with
IEDs. On 12 November 2014, Canadian jets destroyed ISIL artillery just outside the Northern Iraqi town of
Baiji. Airstrikes continued throughout December and into January, 2015, totaling 28 strike missions. It was then reported that Canadian special forces troops, which had been
highlighting targets for airstrikes, had engaged in fighting after coming under attack. On 19 January 2015, Canadian special operations forces came under ISIL attack for the first time in
Iraq, and returned sniper fire to "neutralize" the threat.
Canadians are "enabling airstrikes from the ground," meaning they are actively finding targets for jets flying overhead. On 29 January 2015, Canadian special forces in
Iraq came under fire from ISIL forces, causing the Canadian troops to return fire, killing some ISIL militants. On 6 March, a Canadian soldier was killed in a
friendly fire incident by
Kurdish forces while returning to an observation post. On 8 April 2015, two CF-18s carried out their first airstrike against ISIL in
Syria, hitting one of the group's garrisons. From 2 November 2014 to 13 May 2015 the Canadian armed forces struck 80 ISIL fighting positions, 19 ISIL vehicles, and 10 storage facilities. On 21 October 2015, Canadian
Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau informed
U.S. President Barack Obama that he intended to withdraw Canadian aircraft from operations over
Iraq and
Syria but increase training missions on the ground. On 8 February 2016,
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the CF-18s would be withdrawn from the bombing mission no later than 22 February 2016. However, the surveillance aircraft and air-to-air jet refueller would continue. In addition, the amount of training troops would triple. The
Canadian Government would extend the Operation until 31 March 2025.
Dutch airstrikes On 24 September 2014, the
Dutch government announced its participation in "the military campaign" against ISIL which, as they claimed, had been started by the
United States, and sent six
F-16 fighter jets to
Iraq to bomb ISIL. Their motivations to join this war: ISIL's advance in Iraq and
Syria, while displaying "unprecedented violence" and "perpetrating terrible crimes against population groups", formed "a direct threat for that region"; ISIL's advance in Iraq and Syria "causes instability at the borders of
Europe" which threatens "our own [Dutch] safety". Figures requested by
RTL Nieuws in August 2015 showed that the
Netherlands was among the most active countries within the coalition, third behind only the
United States and the
United Kingdom. In January 2016, the Netherlands extended their
bombings of ISIL to Syrian territory. By the end of July 2016 the Dutch Air Task Force flew more than 2100 missions and carried out over 1800 air strikes. At the end of the Dutch contribution to the Air Task Force, in December 2018, the
Royal Netherlands Air Force had flown over 3000 missions and conducted approximately 2100 air strikes. (CAOC) at
Al Udeid Air Base,
Qatar, provides command and control of air power throughout Iraq and Syria.
French airstrikes On 19 September 2014, the
French Air Force used its
Rafale jets to conduct airstrikes on IS targets in
Mosul. The airstrikes were approved by
French President François Hollande, which indicated that
France was committed to fighting IS using air power alongside the
United States. Hollande mentioned that no ground troops would be used in the conflict. To conduct its airstrikes, France deployed 9 Rafale fighters to the
United Arab Emirates, 6
Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters to
Jordan, in addition to an
Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, a
Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, and a
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker. After eight weeks of operations, the task force left the Persian Gulf on its way to
India, heralding the end of its contribution to
Operation Chammal. On 5 November 2015, it was announced that the
Charles de Gaulle would resume operations in
Syria to fight IS. On 15 November 2015, after the
November 2015 Paris attacks, the
French Air Force launched its largest airstrike of the bombing campaign sending 12 planes, including 10 fighters, that dropped 20 bombs in training camps and ammunition facilities in
Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.
Jordanian airstrikes After the downed Jordanian pilot
Muath al-Kasasbeh was executed by IS by being burned to death,
King Abdullah II vowed revenge and temporarily took the lead in the bombing raids on IS during February 2015. On 8 February,
Jordan claimed that during the course of 3 days, from 5–7 February, their airstrikes alone had killed 7,000 ISIL militants in
Iraq and
Syria, and also reportedly degraded 20% of the militant group's capability.
Moroccan airstrikes In December 2014
Morocco sent 4 F-16s to bomb ISIL positions, initially in the outskirts of
Baghdad and other undisclosed locations. The planes operated under the command of the
UAE and suspended operations in February 2015.
Turkish contributions See overview in section
Turkish intervention.
Iranian intervention In mid-June 2014, according to American and British sources,
Iran sent
Qasem Soleimani, commanding general of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps'
Quds Force (IRGC-QF), to
Iraq to help the government organize against ISIL. Later that month Iran started flying drones over Iraq, and by August, according to sources like
Reuters, Iranian soldiers were in Iraq fighting ISIL. One war correspondent suggested that Iran "joined the air war" against ISIL on 21 June. In July, according to the
International Institute for Strategic Studies,
Iran sent several
Su-25 aircraft to
Iraq, supported by Iranian/Iraqi ground crews trained in Iran. In early August, those Su-25s began combat against ISIL, according to
Business Insider. a claim the
U.S. army verified. In March and May 2015, American commentators indicated
Qasem Soleimani was "leading Iraq's military strategy against ISIL".
Iran was mainly involved in the fight against Islamic State by supporting Shia militias from the
Popular Mobilization Units both financially and militarily.
Hezbollah intervention Already "for a long time" before June 2014,
Hezbollah had a presence in
Iraq of advisers offering guidance to Shia fighters, according to a Hezbollah commander interviewed by
The National. On 17 June, Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah said that the party was "ready to sacrifice martyrs in Iraq five times more than what we sacrificed in
Syria in order to protect shrines." In July 2014,
Hezbollah sent more technical trainers and advisers to
Iraq, to monitor ISIL's movements, according to a Hezbollah commander. An August
Reuters story reported there were "dozens" of
Hezbollah "battle-hardened
veterans" in
Iraq, while the
Christian Science Monitor reported the party had deployed a 250-man unit "responsible for advising, training, and coordinating the Iraqi Shia militias." In February 2015, Nasrallah confirmed that he had sent troops to fight in
Iraq. == Libya ==