The U.S. military will end its current mission against the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq by the end of 2026, and move to a new phase that will likely include a significant withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, according to senior U.S. officials.
However, they added that Washington intends to maintain military presence at home to continue the global fight against terrorism, providing details on the expected troop size and how the transition would work. refused to provide. There are currently approximately 2,500 American troops stationed in Iraq.
The move will take place in two stages, with the US counterterrorism mission in Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve, ending in September 2025, but in an interim form until at least September 2026, when it is expected to officially end. will be continued.
A senior Biden administration official said the details would be worked out over time, but some changes were expected in the U.S. balance of power.
“It is very likely that there will be changes in the numbers and in our activities as we move towards a bilateral relationship. [to] “We need to better align with our bilateral interests,” the official said, “many of which will be ongoing discussions.”
The United States sent troops to Iraq in 2014 at the then-embattled government's invitation to counter the growing threat from ISIS, which had taken over large swathes of Iraq and northeastern Syria. The United States has always been subject to Baghdad's invitation and withdrawal if the government demands it.
Iraqi officials officially announced earlier this month that the United States would withdraw troops in two phases starting now and ending in 2025, with the final phase ending in 2026. A small force is expected to remain in Iraq's Kurdistan region.
However, senior government officials did not characterize the change in relations as a departure, emphasizing that security cooperation would continue.
“We want to emphasize that this is an evolution of the military mission in Iraq,” the official said. “We are moving toward productive, long-term security relationships like the ones the United States has with partners around the world.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, who has ties to Iran, has called on the US to shift its mission against ISIS, saying that US forces will receive support from Iran in Iraq during the ongoing Iraq war. It has recently stepped up its demands as it battles militia groups. Gaza.
Al-Sudani has been criticized for being too close to the Popular Mobilization Forces, the umbrella organization for Iraq's security forces, many of which are backed by Iran.
But Iraqi leaders have condemned both countries for the firefight on their territory, considering it a territorial violation, and have called for a more permanent partnership with the United States, with an emphasis on economic and other cooperation. I asked for
Al-Sudani visited the United States on a high-profile trip in April and met with President Biden to discuss the transition to a new phase. His visit came after talks on the transition began in January.
The United States has expressed confidence that Iraq can defend its territory from ISIS and other extremist groups that threaten the country, and officials said it would continue to support Iraqi security forces in the new phase.
A senior defense official said the mission was “always in support of the Iraqi security forces, not to replace them.”
“Today, the coalition's local security partners are able to ensure that ISIS never again wreaks havoc in the region,” the official said, adding that the U.S. has killed more than 225,000 Iraqis. He explained that the United States is training and equipping them and providing them with $4 billion in military aid.
“Over the past few years, the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces have improved very significantly through coalition advice and support missions,” the official added.
ISIS has lost most of its territory since taking control of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but it has rebounded in recent years since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate, has carried out deadly attacks in Russia and Iran this year alone, killing more than 100 people.
If the U.S. withdraws all its troops, Iran, which already has tremendous influence over Iraq, could easily fill the power vacuum.
There is also the possibility that the approximately 900 troops remaining in Syria may be forced to withdraw from the United States because they would be isolated from aid in Iraq. However, if troops remain in the Kurdistan region, the United States could potentially support Syrian forces.
A senior defense official said the United States was transitioning in Iraq “because the mission environment has changed.”
“We discussed the clearing of large swaths of territory by ISIS and the large populations living under its brutal rule. ISIS no longer controls such territory,” the official said. Ta. “It no longer has a population under its command. It has combatants and cells. It has a presence, but sustained efforts are needed to ensure a lasting defeat.”
“But the evolution of that mission, that threat, means it's time to evolve this mission,” the official said.
