Washington will conclude its American-led international mission in Iraq over the next twelve months, according to a joint statement released by Iraq and the US on Friday. The decision comes as tensions rise in the wider Middle East, with Israel and Hezbollah trading fire and threatening to expand the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Following extensive discussions between the Iraqi Higher Military Commission, the US, and international coalition representatives, the mission will transition into a bilateral security partnership. According to the joint statement published by the US State Department, the withdrawal will be finalized no later than September 2025.
However, despite the transition in Iraq, coalition forces will maintain their presence in oil-rich areas of Syria until at least September 2026. This extended presence aims to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, according to the statement.
A commission will be established to oversee the transition, focusing on mechanisms to ensure the safety of coalition advisors still present in Iraq, the statement noted.
The Pentagon clarified that the decision does not signify a complete withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh emphasized that while the mission is evolving, “Our footprint is going to be changing within the country.” She further stressed that “the US is not withdrawing from Iraq.”
For at least nine months, Baghdad has been engaged in formal negotiations regarding the withdrawal of US troops, following years of calls from Iraqi officials for a reduced American military presence. In an interview last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani underscored that the need for US troops in Iraq had diminished. “Iraq in 2024 is not the same as Iraq in 2014,” he said, referring to the country’s post-conflict stabilization. “We have moved on from wars to stability.”
The US invasion of Iraq in 2003, conducted without UN approval, was initially justified by claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction – allegations that were later proven false. The invasion and subsequent “shock and awe” bombing campaign led to the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime and plunged Iraq into chaos, providing a breeding ground for extremist groups like ISIS.
When ISIS spread across Iraq and Syria in 2014, US troops returned to combat the group. While formal coalition military operations concluded in 2021, approximately 2,500 US troops remained in Iraq.
There are concerns in Washington that a full withdrawal could result in outcomes similar to the chaotic US exit from Afghanistan. In recent months, American military bases in both Iraq and Syria have come under missile attack, coinciding with heightened tensions related to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
The Road Ahead
As the US shifts its strategy in Iraq, efforts will focus on reducing its military footprint while maintaining a critical security partnership to safeguard regional stability. Meanwhile, the ongoing presence in Syria remains essential to counter any resurgence of ISIS, a task the coalition views as critical for Middle Eastern security in the coming years.
