The United States has announced an agreement with the Iraqi government to end the military mission of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by next year. Briefing reporters yesterday, US officials stated that the agreement will result in a two-phase transition for the troops assigned to Iraq, beginning this month. However, they emphasised that some troops will remain in the country as part of an evolving military mission, and the counter-ISIS operations will continue.
In the first phase, running through September 2025, the coalition mission against ISIS will conclude, and forces will leave some longstanding bases. In the second phase, the US will continue to operate in some capacity from Iraq until at least 2026 to support counter-ISIS operations in Syria. The announcement comes at a particularly contentious time for the Middle East, as an escalating conflict between Israel and two Iranian-backed militant groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, threatens a broader regional war
