BAGHDAD: The United States and Iraq have reached a preliminary agreement on the phased withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, local media reports say.
The plan, which awaits final approval and a formal announcement, proposes the departure of hundreds of troops by September 2025, with the remaining forces to leave by the end of 2026.
A senior US official confirmed, “We have an agreement; it’s now just a question of when to announce it.” The announcement, initially scheduled for earlier, was delayed due to escalating regional tensions related to the conflict in Gaza and to finalize details.
In addition to the drawdown, the US and Iraq are negotiating a new advisory role that may allow some US troops to stay in Iraq for continued support. Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister, indicated that technical discussions with Washington are complete and that the relationship between Iraq and the international coalition will transition to focus on military, security, economic, and cultural areas.
The agreement follows over six months of negotiations initiated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, prompted by attacks from Iran-backed Iraqi groups on US forces. The coalition, which includes approximately 2,500 US troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, was formed in 2014 to combat Daesh, which once controlled significant territory in both countries.
Under the new plan, coalition forces are expected to withdraw from the Ain Al-Asad air base in western Anbar province and reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025. Despite the support provided by US troops, Prime Minister Al-Sudani has expressed concerns that their presence has become a destabilizing factor, with frequent targeting and uncoordinated retaliatory strikes.
An official announcement on the agreement could come as early as this month.
