US agrees with Iraq to withdraw troops by the end of 2026 - Reuters

Washington and Baghdad have reached preliminary agreements on the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq. This should take place in several stages, and in general - by the end of 2026.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Reuters.

According to the Western news agency's sources, the plan provides for the withdrawal of hundreds of US troops in the first year (deadline is September next year), and the rest of the forces will be withdrawn by the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, it is noted that the plan, which has been agreed upon in general, still requires final approval from both capitals, and the date of the announcement remains open.

“We have an agreement, now the only question is when to announce it,” a senior U.S. official told Reuters.

There is a possibility that the deal could be announced this month.

It is noted that a few weeks ago, they planned to make an official announcement, but postponed it due to the regional escalation related to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and, according to Western media sources, to clarify some details.

In addition, Reuters writes, the United States and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could allow some U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after the drawdown.

“The sources include five U.S. officials, two officials from other coalition countries and three Iraqi officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly,” the publication says.

According to Foreign Affairs Advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Farhad Alaaldin, technical negotiations with Washington on the reduction of the coalition have been completed. However, he did not disclose the details of the plan.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 09/09/2024