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3h ago

Pentagon Begins Drawdown of U.S. Iraq Mission, Shifts Focus to Syria

Fewer than 2,000 personnel will remain in Iraq, largely in Erbil, with counter-ISIS operations centered in Syria.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the Iraq troop reduction in a statement.
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US and coalition partners to scale back military mission in Iraq
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Overview

  • Officials confirmed the planned reduction under last year’s U.S.-Iraq agreement to wind down the coalition mission by September 2025.
  • U.S. forces in Iraq numbered about 2,500 at the start of 2025, and the post-transition presence will be under 2,000 with most based in Erbil.
  • Troops who stay in Baghdad will pivot to routine bilateral security cooperation rather than direct counter-ISIS operations.
  • A senior Iraqi security official said withdrawals began weeks ago from Baghdad and Ain al-Asad, with some units redeploying to Irbil and others leaving the country.
  • The coalition will continue anti-ISIS missions in Syria, supported from Iraq’s Kurdistan region through September 2026, and officials have not released a firm completion timeline.