Exclusive: Washington unveils “civilian” partnership in Iraq after military withdrawal by September
Exclusive: Washington unveils “civilian” partnership in Iraq after military withdrawal by September
2025-08-18
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Baghdad revealed on Monday that a “civilian” partnership between the international coalition and Iraq is close to being signed, coinciding with the planned “military” withdrawal by next September.
The spokesman said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency that the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Operation Inherent Resolve) will transition from its military mission in Iraq to a more traditional bilateral security partnership, stressing the continuation of the coalition’s civilian-led efforts at the global level.
He emphasized that this shift does not mean the end of the international coalition’s work to defeat ISIS, but rather comes as part of a transition plan to enhance stability in Iraq through security partnerships and ongoing civilian cooperation.
In this context, an Iraqi government source told Shafaq News Agency that the Iraqi government has agreed with the international coalition countries, led by the United States, to set a timetable for the start of withdrawing military forces and ending the coalition’s mission by September 2026.
The source explained that the first phase of the agreement stipulates the end of the coalition’s duties with the central government in September 2025. This includes the withdrawal of forces from Ain al-Asad base and the coalition mission headquarters in Baghdad, and the transfer of some forces and military equipment to Erbil and the rest to Kuwait.
He added that the second phase of the agreement includes a schedule for the full military withdrawal of the international coalition by September 2026. He noted that the number of international coalition forces, which previously numbered approximately 2,000 soldiers and advisors, will gradually decrease to less than 500 personnel, with their presence limited to Erbil, while the remaining forces will move to Kuwait.
Earlier, a senior Iraqi officer revealed that international coalition forces had begun special procedures in preparation for their withdrawal from the capital, Baghdad.
The senior officer explained to Shafaq News Agency that these measures include sites in the Green Zone and Joint Operations, within a process expected to actually end in the middle of next year, with the move to an alternative site in the Kurdistan Region, according to preliminary information. He also indicated that the actual evacuation will take place in the middle of this year, 2025, or shortly before that, and the evacuation of the Green Zone and Joint Operations sites is scheduled to take place.
Washington and Baghdad have reached an agreement on a plan for the withdrawal of US-led international coalition forces from Iraq, with reports indicating that hundreds of troops will leave by September 2025, and the remainder by the end of the following year.
The agreement is awaiting approval from the leaderships of both countries and an official announcement date will be set for this month.
The United States and Iraq aim to establish a new advisory relationship that could keep some US forces in Iraq after the withdrawal.
An “official” announcement was scheduled for weeks ago, but was postponed due to regional escalation following the events in Gaza and incidents such as the bombing of the Ain al-Asad base.
Last August, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry confirmed the postponement of the announcement of the end of the coalition’s mission, with the Foreign Minister indicating that the circumstances of the negotiations had changed.
There were also warnings from armed factions that attacks could resume if the negotiations continue to stall.
This agreement came after more than six months of talks, initiated by the Iraqi Prime Minister in January 2023, amid escalating attacks by Iranian-backed factions on US forces.
shafaq.com
