US to withdraw American-led troops from Iraq by September 2025
The United States and Iraq have reportedly reached a broad agreement to withdraw hundreds of American-led troops from Iraq by September 2025. This decision comes after over six months of discussions between the two nations. The proposed withdrawal includes all coalition forces stationed at the Ain Al-Asad airbase and a significant number in Baghdad, Reuters reported. However, some US and other coalition troops are expected to stay in Erbil, a semi-autonomous region in northern Kurdistan, until the end of 2026.
Troops to remain in Erbil until end of 2026
These forces will continue operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. A senior US official told Reuters that it is now just a question of when to announce it. Farhad Alaaldin, the Iraqi prime minister's foreign affairs adviser, declined to comment on the reported agreement but said, "We are...on the brink of transitioning the relationship between Iraq and members of the international coalition to a new level, focusing on bilateral relations in military, security, economic and cultural areas."
Talks initiated amid attacks on US troops
The talks leading to this agreement were reportedly initiated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in January amid attacks by Iran-backed militants on US troops. On January 27, three US military personnel were killed and dozens more injured in a drone strike "carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq. The US retaliated with strikes targeting 85 sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian forces and Iran-backed militants.
US-Iraq troop withdrawal agreement pending announcement
The new agreement between Washington and Baghdad is expected to be announced this month. Currently, there are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria. The US initially invaded Iraq in 2003 as part of its "War on Terror" following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda. American troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011 but returned in 2014 to lead a coalition, which included German, French, Spanish and Italian troops, against ISIS.
