The United States and Iraq have reached an agreement to end the international military mission to combat the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq. This was reported to journalists at a special briefing by a senior Washington administration official.

“As part of the transition plan, the global coalition's military mission will be finalised, and the coalition forces present in a number of areas of Iraq identified based on the mutual agreement will be withdrawn,” the official said.

At the same time, he clarified that, despite the curtailment of coalition operations, Washington does not intend to withdraw its troops from Iraq as part of this plan.

He added that the transition period will begin in September of this year to end in September 2025.

The administration added that the United States and Iraqare committed to continuing to work to ensure its final defeat, recognizing that ISIS in Syria remains a significant threat to the region. To this end, the United States and the Iraqi government have agreed to continue coalition operations to combat ISIS in Syria from Iraqi territory throughout the second phase of the transition period, at least until September 2026.

According to The Washington Post, about 900 American troops based in Syria will continue to receive support from the Iraqi side of the border until at least September 2026. Currently, there are believed to be about 2,500 US troops in Iraq.

Earlier in September, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that the presence of American troops in Iraq is no longer needed, since the international coalition has succeeded in defeating ISIS.

At the same time, al-Sudani expressed confidence that Baghdad and Washington's security cooperation will continue after the withdrawal of troops.