US officials offer little clarity on future of two-decade US military presence in Iraq amid ‘transition’.
The United States and Iraq have said that a US-led coalition in the country to fight ISIL (ISIS) will wind down by the end of 2025, but they left the door open to a prolonged military presence.
The joint announcement on Friday did not specify what the future of US troops in Iraq will be, with officials stressing that the move represents more of a “transition” than a “withdrawal”.
A senior official from US President Joe Biden’s administration who briefed reporters said the wind-down would involve two phases.
The first phase – expected to end in September 2025 – will include “ending the presence of coalition forces in certain locations in Iraq as mutually determined”, the official said.
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