The US outlines a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq.

American soldiers (Illustrative photo: TASS).

According to a joint statement released by the US State Department on September 27, Washington will end its international mission in Iraq within the next year.

The decision comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East as the Israel-Hezbollah war threatens to expand the conflict into Gaza.

The U.S.-Iraq defense relationship will then shift from an alliance to an expanded bilateral security relationship. This phase will take place over the next 12 months, concluding no later than September 2025.

However, the statement added that coalition forces would remain stationed in oil-rich areas of Syria until at least September 2026 to "prevent the return of the ISIS terrorist threat."

A committee will develop the necessary mechanisms to facilitate the transition and "provide material support for coalition advisers to be present in Iraq," the statement said.

The Pentagon emphasized that while the mission has changed, it does not mean the U.S. will withdraw its troops completely.

Baghdad has been formally negotiating the withdrawal of US troops for at least nine months, while Iraqi officials have also made similar calls for years.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told Bloomberg TV in an interview last week that Iraq no longer needs U.S. troops on its territory. "Iraq in 2024 is not like Iraq in 2014. We have emerged from conflict and are gradually stabilizing," he said.

Bloomberg suggests that the US's hesitation to withdraw troops may be related to fears of similar consequences to the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In recent months, the US military has suffered missile attacks on its bases in Iraq and Syria amid rising tensions related to Israel's campaign in Gaza.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/my-phac-thao-ke-hoach-rut-quan-khoi-iraq-20240928135010660.htm