US and Iraq reach agreement on troops withdrawal; some to remain “in an advisory role”
Shafaq News/ Washington and Baghdad have reached an agreement on the withdrawal plan for the US-led coalition forces from Iraqi territory, sources told Reuters.
The plan calls for hundreds of coalition troops to leave by September 2025, with the rest departing by the end of the following year, pending approval and an announcement from both governments.
"We have an agreement, it is now just a question of when to announce it," Reuters quoted a senior US official as saying.
The agency reported that five US officials, two officials from other coalition countries, and three Iraqi officials, all spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on discussing the matter publicly.
“The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown,” the sources affirmed.
“An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israel's war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details.”
In August, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry stated that Baghdad decided to delay the announcement of the US-led coalition's mission end due to "recent developments," referring to the attack on Ain al-Asad airbase.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein noted, "Withdrawal negotiations have not stopped, but their conditions have changed."
Previously, Iraqi sources leaked that "Iraq wants the US-led coalition to start withdrawing in September and to officially end its mission by September 2025, with the possibility of some US troops remaining in an advisory role under new negotiations."
At that time, Iran-aligned armed factions viewed the delay in announcing the coalition's withdrawal as a reason to escalate their attacks, citing "failed diplomacy and Washington’s delay" in negotiations with the Iraqi government.
Two factions within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq declared they were ready to resume operations, stating that "the ceasefire brokered by the Iraqi government has effectively ended."
The agreement followed over six months of negotiations between Baghdad and Washington, initiated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in January 2023 amid attacks by Iran-backed factions on US forces stationed in Iraqi bases.
Since February, the Iraqi government has maintained “a fragile ceasefire” with the armed factions, claiming exclusive responsibility for the negotiations on US troop withdrawal.
“The agreement between the factions and government, mediated by Shia political intermediaries, primarily rests on the principle that any hostile actions against Americans would permanently destroy the withdrawal negotiations,” according to officials.
Notably, the US-led coalition, comprising more than 80 countries, remains to assist Iraqi forces in this enduring fight against terrorism. Although the coalition officially ended its combat mission in December 2021, approximately 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government. Their primary roles include providing training, military aid, and air support to help Iraqi forces combat the ongoing ISIS insurgency.
