The U.S. has reached an agreement with the Iraqi government to conclude the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by next year. This agreement will see U.S. troops departing some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.
While the Biden administration has not disclosed specific details on how many of the approximately 2,500 U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq will remain, it has been confirmed that there will be a change in the U.S. footprint within the country.
The announcement comes amidst escalating conflict in the Middle East, with tensions rising between Israel and two Iranian-backed militant groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, potentially threatening a broader regional war.
Formal talks to wind down the U.S. presence in Iraq have been ongoing for months, with the agreement outlining a two-phase transition for the troops assigned to Iraq. The first phase, running through September 2025, will see the end of the coalition mission against ISIS and the departure of forces from some longstanding bases.
In the second phase, the U.S. will continue to operate in some capacity from Iraq through 2026 to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria. The ultimate goal is to transition the U.S. military mission to a bilateral security relationship, although specifics regarding the number of American troops remaining in Iraq post-2026 have not been provided.
The continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq has been a political challenge for the Iraqi government, which is under increasing influence from Iran. Iraq has been navigating its relationships with both the U.S. and Iran, two regional rivals.
This agreement marks the third formal transition of the U.S. military's role in Iraq over the past two decades, with the initial invasion in 2003 based on faulty claims of weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. presence in Iraq has evolved over the years, from combat operations to training and counter-ISIS efforts.
The enduring U.S. presence in Iraq has also served to pressure Iranian-backed militias in the region and impede the movement of weapons from Iran to Lebanon through Iraq and Syria. The agreement signifies a significant shift in the U.S. military presence in Iraq and sets the stage for a new phase of security cooperation between the two nations.
