Baghdad: The US military has begun drawing down its mission in Iraq under an agreement inked with the Iraqi government last year, officials said on Wednesday.
Washington and Baghdad agreed last year to wind down the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, with US forces departing some bases where they have stationed troops during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Wednesday that the US “will reduce its military mission in Iraq,” reflecting “our combined success in fighting ISIS.”
The move “marks an effort to transition to a lasting US-Iraq security partnership in accordance with US national interests, the Iraqi Constitution, and the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement,” he said.
The statement added that Washington will maintain close coordination with Baghdad and coalition partners to ensure a “responsible transition.”