The US is maintaining 2,500 troops in Iraq to advise and assist the international coalition. (source: US Army)

On January 5, the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office quoted Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's announcement that the government is establishing a bilateral committee to prepare for the end of the US-led international coalition's mission in the Middle Eastern country.

In response to this information, Reuters quoted US Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder on January 8 as saying that he had not received any information about any withdrawal plans and that US forces were still highly focused on the mission of defeating the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization.

Affirming that he had not seen any notice from Baghdad to the US Department of Defense about the withdrawal of troops, Mr. Ryder also emphasized that the US forces present in Iraq were at the request of the government of the Middle Eastern country.

US forces and coalition partners including France, Britain and Spain have been deployed in Iraq since 2014 in the fight against IS.

In March 2020, the US began implementing its plan to withdraw troops from Iraq at the request of the local government.

On December 9, 2021, Washington officially announced the end of the US combat mission in Iraq but still maintained about 2,500 troops in the country to advise and support the coalition.

Since the conflict between the Hamas Islamist movement and Israel broke out in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the number of attacks by Islamist forces targeting US troops stationed in Iraq and Syria has increased.

On January 4, the US used a drone to assassinate a military commander of the Harakat al-Nuiiaba group, which is part of the Hashed al-Shaabi, a group of paramilitary units formerly aligned with Iran but now integrated into Iraq's armed forces.

Washington explained the attack as an act of self-defense, but the Iraqi government considered it an act of “blatant aggression” and Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani was determined to end the presence of the international coalition in this Middle Eastern country.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Tehran supports Iraq in expelling the US-led anti-terrorist coalition.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Kanaani stated: "The Baghdad government has clearly stated its position... Iraq has the capacity, the strength and the authority necessary to maintain security."

Besides, according to this diplomatic official, Iran "has repeatedly expressed its views to countries in the region, including Iraq, that the presence of US forces in any form... will not help maintain peace and stability".