Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, President Barack Obama declared Tuesday evening.

The president addressed the nation from the Oval Office on the final day of combat operations in Iraq.

Obama said Iraqi security forces are ready to take over for themselves after the last combat brigade left the country two weeks ago.

"Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest – it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people – a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page," the president said.

About 4,400 U.S. troops were killed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom since the invasion in the spring of 2003.

President Obama traveled to El Paso, Texas earlier Tuesday to thank thousands of soldiers who served in Iraq. Troops at Fort Bliss have served at every stage of the Iraq War.

Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq until the end of next year.