No fresh news on the US force presence in Iraq, according to the Pentagon

A US defense official said Friday that there were no new announcements to make after a report was published that there was an agreement between Washington and Baghdad for the US-led Coalition forces to leave Iraq.

“As was clearly stated in the joint statement between [President Joe Biden] and [Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-] Sudani – the two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end, and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with Iraq’s Constitution and the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement,” the defense official told Al Arabiya English.

Top US and Iraqi military and defense officials met in Washington in July to hash out an agreement or a roadmap that would give Iraq’s premier a so-called win on the political front at home.

Iraq was calling for US troops to leave the country by 2025, requesting the withdrawal to start as early as this year, Al Arabiya English previously reported. But a joint statement by the US and Iraq after the July meeting did not mention any timelines. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin did say that efforts were being undertaken to shape “the parameters to make the transition of Operation Inherent Resolve into enduring security partnerships among Iraq, the United States and other coalition countries.”

Earlier Friday, Reuters reported that the US and Iraq had agreed to the general framework of a deal that would lead to a significant reduction of Coalition and American troops by next September. Those remaining would leave by the following year in 2026, according to Reuters, which cited five US officials, two officials from other coalition nations, and three Iraqi officials.

A senior US official told Reuters, “We have an agreement, it’s now just a question of when to announce it.”

Last month, Iraq’s foreign ministry said it had postponed announcing the end of the US-led Coalition due to the “latest developments” in the region. Tensions were and continue to remain high following multiple high-profile assassinations by Israel against senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials.

Iran continues to be postured to attack Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh from Hamas, who was in Tehran at the time, according to US officials.

Asked about details of the Reuters article, the US defense official told Al Arabiya English, “We have no new announcements to make at this time.”

Sources have previously told Al Arabiya English that US troops and other Coalition forces would vacate Ain al-Assad Airbase in a future agreement, which has been targeted dozens of times by Iran-backed militias.

Reuters said Coalition forces are expected to remain in Erbil as the US continues to carry out anti-ISIS operations against militants in Syria.

US and Iraqi officials agreed last year to begin talks about the future shape and role of an international coalition to defeat ISIS, which is present at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

The first round of discussions was held in January but was quickly halted due to the deadly attack on US troops in Jordan, which US officials said had the fingerprints of Kata’ib Hezbollah.

Less than 24 hours after the US killed a senior Kata’ib Hezbollah commander, before Iraq unilaterally announced a second round of talks with the US would be held on Feb. 11. The US quickly put out a statement confirming the talks.

Attacks attributed to Iran-backed militias targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria close to 200 times since last October.

But a firm US response, which killed senior militia commanders in Iraq, led to a brief lull in the attacks.

US military officials have said behind closed doors that the Biden administration’s policy of decreased pressure on Iran and its proxies has hamstrung the ability to establish deterrence.