Overview

• Baghdad will assume the lead for counter-ISIS efforts inside Iraq as the U.S.-led coalition transitions its Iraq-facing role.
• Most remaining U.S. and coalition personnel will relocate to Erbil to support operations targeting Islamic State remnants in Syria.
• U.S. forces in Iraq will fall to fewer than 2,000 once the shift is complete, with those in Baghdad focused on routine bilateral security cooperation.
• A senior defense official cites diminished risk from Iraqi territory but flags persistent fighters and large detainee populations in Syria as ongoing concerns.
• The planned handover of the Ain al-Asad airbase to Iraqi control remains in progress, and officials have not provided a firm timeline for the broader realignment.