The United States and Iraq have reached an agreement for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, following months of negotiations. The plan, which still requires formal approval from both Washington and Baghdad, outlines a phased pullout starting in September 2025, with all American forces expected to depart Iraq by the end of 2026. This includes the withdrawal of approximately 2,500 US soldiers in Iraq and the remaining 900 in Syria, part of the international coalition against ISIL.
Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbassi confirmed the details of the agreement last Sunday, noting that US forces would leave Baghdad and other areas by 2025, followed by the autonomous Kurdistan region in 2026. The discussions with the US also reportedly included a rejected proposal for extending the withdrawal timeline by an additional year.
The decision comes as US troops face increasing attacks from Iran-backed militias, with over 70 assaults reported since the escalation of violence in the Middle East following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Despite concerns from US policymakers, the Iraqi government has insisted it can handle the remaining ISIL threat without foreign military support, while Iran continues to push for the removal of US troops from the country.
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