The United States and Iraq have commenced formal talks aimed at bringing an end to the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq. The first session of bilateral dialogue took place in Baghdad on Saturday, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani sponsoring the discussion.
The talks come as the U.S. forces stationed in Iraq and Syria face frequent drone attacks by Iran-backed militias, against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. However, U.S. officials have emphasized that the plans to negotiate the terms of the mission's conclusion were already in progress, and the timing is unrelated to the recent attacks.
The United States has maintained a continuous presence in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. Although combat forces were withdrawn in 2011, troops returned in 2014 to assist the Iraqi government in combating the Islamic State group. Since the militant group's territorial defeat, Iraqi officials have periodically called for the withdrawal of coalition forces, particularly following a U.S. airstrike in January 2020 that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad airport.
The issue of U.S. presence in Iraq gained renewed attention following Israel's extensive counteroffensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7. Since then, an Iran-backed militia group named the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has launched regular attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, citing retaliation for American support of Israel as the motive.
The estimated 2,500 U.S. troops and their bases have faced over 150 missile and drone attacks carried out by these militias. Several U.S. personnel have been injured, some sustaining traumatic brain injuries, during these attacks. In response, the U.S. has targeted militia sites, including some associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-backed paramilitary groups operating both independently and alongside the Iraqi military. Iraqi officials have criticized these U.S. strikes as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
U.S. officials have clarified that discussions regarding the establishment of a committee to determine the framework for ending the coalition's mission were already underway before October 7, asserting that the decision is unrelated to the recent attacks. However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed responsibility for influencing the decision, stating that it serves as evidence that the Americans only understand the language of force and vowing to continue their attacks.
As the talks between the United States and Iraq progress, it remains to be seen how the mission of the U.S.-led coalition will be phased out and what implications it will have for the security situation in Iraq. The issue of U.S. presence in the region continues to be a subject of debate, with various stakeholders expressing their concerns and demands.
