US-Iraq Deal on US Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

By Staff, Agencies

The US and Iraq have reached an agreement for the withdrawal of US-led occupation forces from Iraq, which would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025 and the remainder by the end of 2026, according to a Western media report.

The Reuters news agency, quoting multiple unnamed sources within the governments of the US, Iraq, and other countries, said the withdrawal plan “has been broadly agreed but requires a final go-ahead from both capitals and an announcement date.”

"We have an agreement, it’s now just a question of when to announce it," Reuters quoted a senior US official.

Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told the news agency, "We are now 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.”

According to the agency, 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.