Pentagon says US-led military coalition scaling back Iraq occupation
The Pentagon has announced that the United States and its partners are reducing their military engagement in Iraq, as part of a process that will enable Baghdad to take charge of efforts aimed at combating the remnants of Daesh within its borders.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, asserted on Tuesday that the United States and its allies would concentrate on Syria, and move the majority of their personnel to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to accomplish the task.
Once the transitions are finalized, the overall number of US military personnel in Iraq will be less than 2,000, with the majority located in Erbil, according to the official.
The official added that a final number has not yet been determined, without providing a specific timeline.
Upon the completion of the transitions, the total count of US forces stationed in Iraq will be less than 2,000, with the majority located in Erbil, according to the official.
US military personnel remaining in Baghdad will prioritize typical bilateral security collaboration issues.
The US says it is pulling its troops out of Iraq, but analysts say the troops are not leaving Iraq, they are heading to the north, transitioning from one base to another.
As of early 2025, approximately 2,500 US troops were deployed in Iraq, with an additional 900 in neighboring Syria.
The agreement represents a significant boost for the government in Baghdad, which has long been seeking the withdrawal of US-led forces.
Last year, the United States reached an agreement with Iraq to vacate the Ain al-Asad Airbase located in the western Anbar province and transfer control to Iraq.
A US official stated that the transition remains “in progress” and refrained from providing additional details.
Iraq adopted the law to expel foreign forces after Washington’s assassination of top Iraqi and Iranian anti-terror commanders four years ago.
Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were martyred along with their comrades in a US drone strike that was authorized by then-president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
The two iconic anti-terror commanders are greatly admired for their instrumental role in fighting and decimating the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
