Shafaq News – Washington

The US-led Coalition’s mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq remains the framework guiding Washington’s military presence, a US Department of Defense official said on Monday.

Speaking to Shafaq News, the official explained that the United States is “reviewing and, as appropriate, adjusting its force posture in Iraq” in line with the joint US-Iraq statement on transitioning the coalition’s mission.

“We are committed to ending the coalition’s military role inside Iraq by September 2025, while continuing to support operations against ISIS in Syria from bases in Iraq until September 2026,” the official stated. He added that, beyond the transition, Washington will maintain a bilateral security cooperation relationship with Baghdad.

The first phase of the withdrawal has already started, with a convoy leaving Ain al-Asad base for Syria earlier this week. Some forces have been relocated to Erbil and Kuwait, with overall troop levels expected to fall from about 2,000 to fewer than 500 by September 2026.

For Shafaq News, Mostafa Hashem, Washington, D.C.