Global Coalition Mission in Iraq to Conclude, Moving Towards Bilateral Security Ties

Reuters

The United States' forces in Iraq.

The United States Embassy in Iraq has announced that the Global Coalition’s mission in the country will transition into a bilateral security partnership.

According to the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Embassy stated that this is not the conclusion of the Global Coalition’s work to defeat ISIS, which will continue its civilian-led efforts at the international level.

It added that the coalition’s military mission in Iraq will shift towards a more conventional bilateral security partnership, noting that matters concerning military plans and operations will be coordinated with the Ministry of Defence.

Iraqi Prime Minister’s advisor, Hussein Allawi, told the INA on Sunday that the Global Coalition’s presence in Baghdad and at Ain al-Asad Air Base will end in September, emphasising that the government remains committed to strengthening the armed forces and concluding the coalition’s missions.

Allawi highlighted that an agreement has been reached with the Global Coalition countries to conclude the mission within the publicly announced timeframe of 2025–2026. Under this agreement, the coalition’s presence at its headquarters in Baghdad and Ain al-Asad Air Base will officially end in September 2025, marking the start of a new phase of security cooperation focused on advisory support and capacity-building for Iraqi security forces.

For his part, Sabah al-Numan, Spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, stated that the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq represents a key achievement for the government and reflects the country’s strengthened ability to combat terrorism.

The U.S. currently maintains around 2,500 troops in Iraq as part of the coalition, which was formed in 2014 to combat ISIS following the group’s occupation of large areas in Iraq and Syria, from which it has since been largely expelled.

The U.S. and Iraq reached an agreement in 2024 to conclude the Global Coalition’s mission in September 2025. In a joint statement issued on 27 September 2024, the two governments confirmed that the coalition’s military mission in Iraq would end within 12 months, with both sides transitioning to bilateral security partnerships thereafter.



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