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The United States and Iraq have agreed on a two-phased transition to end the American-led military mission against ISIS in Iraq by 2025, with some troops remaining to support operations in Syria until 2026.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Since assuming office, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has consistently demanded an end to the US military operation in Iraq, arguing that the mission is no longer necessary as the security situation in the country has significantly improved. The Prime Minister has also argued that ISIS is no longer posing a substantial threat to the nation’s stability, and Iraq’s military is fully capable of maintaining order within the country. For years, the US and Iraq have been holding talks about how a potential withdrawal of US troops would work.
What’s going on now: According to the Pentagon, the agreement between the US and Iraq outlines a two-phased transition plan to wind down the American-led coalition’s military mission against ISIS in Iraq. The first phase, to be completed by September 2025, will see coalition forces withdraw from several bases, including those in Baghdad and the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. The second phase, extending until September 2026, will focus on continuing US support for anti-ISIS operations in Syria, with forces operating from bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Digging Deeper: While the formal military mission will end, the agreement leaves open the possibility of some US troops remaining in Iraq to support a bilateral security relationship, though the exact number and locations of these forces remain undisclosed.
A senior defense official quoted in a Pentagon release added, “We intend to stay connected in an advise and assist capacity with the [Iraqi] counterterrorism services, the Joint Operations Command, the Air Force and the Kurdish Peshmerga, all of whom play a very important role in conducting counter-ISIS missions. Until the coalition military mission in Iraq concludes, those types of partnered activities, can certainly continue. Beyond that, we will continue to discuss with Iraq — in the bilateral context — how we can continue to advise and assist and enable them in conducting necessary and counterterrorism operations beyond that period.”
Iraq reacts: In a statement, Qais Khazali (who controls an Iraqi militia critical of the US) said, “We thank the government for its position to expel the international coalition forces.
