Iraqi authorities demand the withdrawal of US troops

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani called on the US-led coalition to withdraw its troops from the country as soon as possible amid the escalating tension in the Middle East.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Iraqi leader said that completing the coalition mission is “a necessity for the security and stability of Iraq.” According to him, Baghdad wants to “immediately start the process of winding down coalition forces.” Mohammed al-Sudani acknowledged the contribution of the United States and allies in the combat against jihadist groups, but noted that at the moment they do not pose a threat, so the presence of coalition troops in Iraq no longer makes sense.

As Al-Sudani noted, the situation for Baghdad is aggravated by the fact that American troops stationed in Iraq are regularly subjected to attacks, and the headquarters of the Iraqi security forces and the national infrastructure are targeted. The Pentagon previously reported that U.S. troops in Iraq were attacked 53 times between October 17 and January 11. According to some estimates, there are about 2,500 US Army soldiers in the country.