US says 'not withdrawing' from Iraq despite mission conclusion in 2025

WASHINGTON

The U.S.-led coalition's military mission in Iraq against the terrorist group ISIL is set to conclude next year, but the U.S. military presence will remain, according to a senior official from the U.S. administration on Friday.

The United States and Iraq have agreed on "a two-phase transition plan" for operations within Iraq.

In the first phase, the global coalition’s military mission, known as Combined Joint Task Force Inherent Resolve, will come to an end with the withdrawal of coalition forces from specific locations in Iraq, as agreed upon by both nations. The transition is scheduled to start in September and is expected to be completed by the end of September 2025.

The official emphasized that despite this transition, the presence of ISIL in Syria continues to pose a "significant threat" to the region. The U.S. and Iraq are committed to working together to ensure the lasting defeat of the terror group.

As a result, the second phase allows the coalition to continue supporting counter-ISIL operations in Syria from bases in Iraq until at least September 2026.

"To be clear, while the Combined Joint Task Force military mission in Iraq will end by September 2025, the coalition's military mission operating in Syria will continue," the official clarified.

Furthermore, the U.S. made it clear that it is "not withdrawing from Iraq," with approximately 2,500 American troops remaining in Iraq on a training and assistance mission for Iraqi forces following the December 2021 declaration ending major combat operations in the campaign against ISIL.