The U.S. will announce a drawdown of military forces in Iraq next week, Politico reported, citing "two administration officials."
U.S. forces have been in the country since the Islamic State seized much of Iraq's northern territory in 2014. The roughly 2,500 troops stationed in the country worked to support Iraqi forces in dealing with the insurgents.
“ISIS has definitely been severely defeated, certainly territorially defeated, and we want to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, but the threat does remain,” a Department of Defense official said Friday.
The lingering troop presence, however, has been a source of tension within the country.
The officials told the outlet that negotiations to see the troops leave by the end of 2026 are in their final stages.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, American troops have come under fire in the country, which is home to several Iranian-backed militias. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a semi-official coalition of armed groups that emerged amid the ISIS insurgency, enjoys some recognition from Baghdad, but also includes some pro-Iranian groups.
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