Washington and Baghdad Reach Agreement on U.S. Troop Withdrawal Plan

Reuters reported, citing several sources, that the United States and Iraq have reached an agreement on the plan for the withdrawal of U.S.-led international coalition forces from Iraq. On Friday evening, September 6, Reuters reported from several American and Iraqi officials that this plan has been 'generally agreed upon' but requires final approval in Baghdad and Washington. According to this report, the two sides have agreed that a large number of American and coalition forces will leave Iraq by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026. A senior American official told Reuters, 'We have an agreement; the only issue is when to announce it.' The announcement of the end date for the international coalition's mission has been delayed. The agreement between the two countries was supposed to be announced weeks ago, but due to escalating tensions in the region and the outbreak of the Gaza war, clarifying some details has been postponed. Reuters cited five American officials, two officials from other countries in the international coalition, and three Iraqi officials as its sources. Some of these officials have indicated that the new agreement may be announced this month. Negotiations to reach this agreement have been ongoing for months between Baghdad and Washington. These negotiations were initiated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani in January of this year amid attacks by Iranian-backed militants against American forces. However, according to Reuters, the two countries are seeking to reach an agreement for long-term security cooperation and the continued presence of some American advisors in Iraq. The United States established an international coalition in 2014 to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria; currently, there are about 2,500 American troops in Iraq and around 900 in Syria. Other forces present in Iraq and Syria as part of this coalition include military personnel from Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. According to Reuters, by September 2025, all coalition forces stationed at Ain al-Asad base will leave Iraq, and the remaining forces that will stay for another year in Iraq will include those stationed in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, who facilitate operations against ISIS in Syria. Official officials from the U.S. and Iraq have not yet reacted to Reuters' report.