Shafaq News – Baghdad

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Tuesday in Baghdad with Admiral Brad Cooper, the new commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), to review military cooperation and the future of Iraq–US ties.

According to a statement from al-Sudani’s media office, talks covered counterterrorism efforts, implementation of the September 2024 Joint Statement, and the evolving security partnership between the two countries.

Al-Sudani credited bilateral cooperation with bolstering stability in Iraq and the wider region, reiterating Baghdad’s commitment to the terms of the security framework.

Admiral Cooper, who assumed command earlier this year, pledged to expand coordination, portraying Iraq as a model of effective partnership.

Last month, a source told Shafaq News that a high-level US delegation will soon visit Baghdad for talks on Washington’s planned withdrawal from key bases, along with economic and energy issues.

The first phase of the US-led Coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq is already underway, with American forces departing Ain al-Asad base. The plan calls for a complete withdrawal from Ain al-Asad and Baghdad by the end of September 2025, with some troops redeployed to Erbil and Kuwait. The overall US presence is expected to shrink from about 2,000 to fewer than 500 personnel in Erbil.