US Representative to Shafaq News: We do not want Iraq to retreat, and Iran is trying to “reposition itself.”
US Representative to Shafaq News: We do not want Iraq to retreat, and Iran is trying to “reposition itself.”
2025-09-06 01:22
Shafaq News – Washington
Mustafa Hashem
US Representative Marilyn Stutzman confirmed on Saturday that Iran is attempting to “reposition itself” in Iraq, which is causing concern for the United States. He noted that the Trump administration does not want Iraq to retreat after all the “sacrifices” made in the country.
“The withdrawal of US forces from Iraq is a complex issue,” Stutzman told Shafaq News Agency, stressing that he “prefers to leave the details to President Donald Trump, who has more information about the situation there.”
“There is already instability in Iraq, and what is worrying is that Iran is trying to reposition itself in the country,” Stutzman added.
The member of the US House Financial Services Committee continued, “We do not want to see Iraq’s situation deteriorate after all the sacrifices it has made. It is important that the relationship between Washington and Baghdad remain based on economic and commercial cooperation and joint construction, far from conflict.”
The Republican representative noted that “President Trump’s doctrine is based on promoting trade and joint action as much as it is on the military aspect,” believing that “American economic policies will have an influential role in stabilizing the Middle East, and not just through security solutions.”
US forces have begun withdrawing from military bases in Baghdad and Anbar toward Syria and the Kurdistan Region, as part of the Iraqi government’s agreement with the international coalition, led by the United States, on a timetable for troop withdrawal and the end of coalition operations by September 2026.
The schedule includes the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Ain al-Asad base and Baghdad by the end of September 2025, with a portion of them being transferred to Erbil and Kuwait. Meanwhile, the number of troops will gradually decrease from approximately 2,000 to less than 500 in Erbil.
shafaq.com
