Iraqi PM calls for end to US-led coalition in Iraq

Shafaq News/ Iraq's prime minister called on Thursday for an end to the U.S.-led coalition's mission in Iraq, saying the country's forces are capable of handling security on their own.

In a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said the Islamic State group, which the coalition was formed to fight, no longer poses a threat to Iraq.

"The time has come for the coalition to end its mission and for Iraq to move to bilateral relations with its members," he said.

The coalition's military mission in Iraq ended in 2021, but some 2,500 U.S. troops remain in the country to provide training and support to Iraqi forces.

Al-Sudani called for heightened international pressure to end the conflict in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 30,000 thousands since the Hamas attack on Israeli settlements near Gaza on October 7.

Albares said Spain supports Iraq's efforts to achieve security and stability, and that it is committed to working with Iraq to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Gaza.