Iraq and the United States have agreed on a phased pullout of the U.S.-led anti-jihadist coalition but have yet to sign a final agreement, the Iraqi defense minister said Sunday.
The agreement entails a withdrawal of coalition forces from bases in Baghdad and other parts of federal Iraq by September 2025, and from Kurdistan by September 2026 in a two-phased approach.
Despite discussions, a timeline for the withdrawal has not been officially announced.
Recent violence in Iraq and Syria, stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict, has led to retaliatory strikes by US forces against Iran-backed armed groups.
Although the Islamic State group no longer holds significant territory in Iraq and Syria, remnants of the jihadist fighters still exist in remote areas.
Iraqi security forces are confident in their ability to handle these remaining ISIS elements independently.
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