Following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, hundreds of residents took to the streets of Baghdad at night to celebrate. Crowds gathered in the capital’s famous Tahrir Square, setting off fireworks and driving vehicles adorned with national flags under heavy security. Revelers carried Iraqi and Iranian flags, along with banners belonging to the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq armed group. Meanwhile, a separate gathering on Palestine Street drew militia leaders displaying portraits of prominent Shiite figures, including Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in recent US-Israeli attacks.