Washington will end US-Iraqi-led international cooperation over the next 12 months, as announced in a joint Iraq-US declaration. This decision comes in the context of escalating tensions in the extended Middle East, where Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon are exchanging fire and trying to expand the conflict in Gaza.
After extensive discussions between the Iraqi Supreme Military Authority, the United States, and the international coalition, the US military will move to a bilateral security partnership, according to the joint statement published by the US State Department regarding the sixth exhibition. This deletion will take place over the next 12 months, ending at the latest in September 2025.
However, the forced occupation of Syria's oil-rich areas will continue until at least September 2026. “Preventing the return of terrorist attacks from ISIS” Cumulative declaration.
The committee will work to develop the necessary mechanisms to facilitate the transition process “Ensuring physical protection for members of the Coalition Council present in Iraq.” He said.
The Pentagon stressed that since most US forces are about to move, this does not constitute a complete withdrawal.
“We are stuck moving inside the country.” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh spoke to reporters during a press conference about the sixth exhibition. “No, America will not withdraw from Iraq.” ela Accentou.
Baghdad has been conducting formal negotiations for the withdrawal of North American forces for at least nine months, with similar appeals from the Iraqi authorities for years.
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani told Bloomberg TV in an interview last week that Iraq no longer needs American forces on its soil. “Oh, Iraq 2024 is not like Iraq 2014.” ele disse. We fought wars for stability.”
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 under UN sanctions, claiming that the country possessed weapons of mass destruction – a claim later deemed false. USA “Shock and awe” The bombing campaign devastated large areas of Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein's government, leaving the country in chaos and creating fertile ground for extremists such as ISIS.
After the terrorist organization spread across parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, American forces returned to the country. Coalition military operations will end in 2021, leaving about 2,500 US military personnel as a long-term presence in Iraq.
Bloomberg noted that EUA's reluctance to leave may be linked to the possibility of similar dire consequences as EUA's withdrawal from Afghanistan. In recent months, American soldiers have been injured in Israeli attacks on American military facilities in Iraq and Syria, amid escalating tensions related to the Israeli campaign in Gaza.
