The United States and its allies, members of the international coalition fighting the “Islamic State“, will reduce their military presence in Iraq in accordance with the existing plan.
This was announced in a written statement released on Tuesday by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Sean Parnell.
He noted that “The United States and coalition partners will reduce their military mission in Iraq in accordance with the instructions of the US President and in accordance with the decision“ of the bilateral military commission. According to Parnell, the reduction of the military presence of the United States and its allies in Iraq “reflects the overall success in the fight against ISIS“ and the transition to bilateral security cooperation with Iraq, based on previously reached agreements.
Parnell assured that the Washington administration “will continue to coordinate closely with the Iraqi government and coalition members to ensure a responsible transition“ to bilateral cooperation with Baghdad.
On September 18, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said that the Iraqi authorities are capable of maintaining stability and defending their territory without the help of the Western coalition led by the United States. He said that the United States “no longer has a reason“ to maintain a military contingent in the country, as the active phase of the fight against ISIS has ended.
In 2014, Washington created a coalition to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria and launched Operation Inherent Resolve. In July 2025, al-Sudani stated that the international coalition would achieve its goals and complete its mission in September 2026. The Prime Minister noted that the Iraqi authorities were holding talks with coalition members on a "transition to bilateral security relations." On January 5, 2020, the parliament adopted a resolution demanding the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq. In March 2021, Iraqi authorities stated that the number of US troops in the country did not exceed 2,500.
On December 22, 2021, the Iraqi General Staff announced that the coalition had completed the withdrawal of its troops from the country, but maintained a presence at the level of military advisors.