Iraq and the United States have reached an agreement on a plan to withdraw the remaining forces of the international coalition from Iraqi territory, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the situation. According to the agency’s interlocutors, the plan has been approved in general, but requires final approval from Baghdad and Washington. The date on which it will be announced has not yet been set.
The plan calls for the withdrawal of “hundreds” of coalition troops from Iraq by September 2025, with the remaining forces withdrawn by the end of 2026.
“We have an agreement, now the only question is when to announce it.” – a senior US official told the agency.
Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq on Foreign Affairs Farhad Alaaldin confirmed to Reuters that technical negotiations with Washington on the coalition’s withdrawal have been completed.
“We are now on the verge of taking relations between Iraq and members of the international coalition to a new level, focusing on bilateral relations in the military, economic, cultural and security spheres.” – said.
The prime minister’s adviser did not comment on the details of the plan.
US troops first entered Iraq in 2003 during the war against Saddam HusseinOver time, the number of U.S. military personnel stationed in this country has decreased.
By 2011, after the war officially ended, all military personnel had left the country, except for 5.5 thousand employees of private military companies. This came after the two countries failed to reach an agreement on the status of forces. In 2014, the Iraqi government asked US troops to return to help fight the Islamic State.* (ISIS*a terrorist organization banned in Russia) that had by then conquered a third of Iraq and most of Syria.
In 2021, the Pentagon announced the transition of the mission’s role from combat to advisory, but at that time the number of US troops in Iraq was 2.5 thousand people and did not decrease. During the active phase of hostilities, according to the Pentagon, more than 160 thousand American soldiers were in Iraq.
*Terrorist organization banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.
