Iran retaliates with missile strikes after U.S. tanker attacks as oil prices exceed 0 per barrel

The U.S.-led coalition, established to combat jihadist forces, has reportedly commenced its withdrawal from the Kurdish region of Iraq, a development that underscores a significant shift in the region’s security dynamics. A Kurdish official confirmed this move on Thursday, noting that the coalition’s departure follows an earlier exit from several bases across Iraq, completed in January of this year.

The coalition’s withdrawal is expected to be finalized by September 30, as dictated by a 2024 agreement between the governments of Baghdad and Washington. This agreement effectively marks the end of the coalition’s mission against the Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS, in Iraq. Rebar Ahmed, the interior minister for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), stated that the process has already begun, with coalition forces being relocated outside of Iraq on a daily basis.

In a parallel development, Sabah al-Numan, a spokesperson for Iraq’s armed forces, indicated that the pace of foreign troop withdrawals is increasing. The withdrawal from Iraq follows a previous exit from Syria earlier this year, indicating a broader reassessment of the U.S. military presence in the region.

The deployment of U.S.-led troops to Iraq and Syria commenced in 2014, in response to the rapid territorial gains made by ISIS, which had overrun significant portions of both countries and committed numerous atrocities. The coalition’s efforts culminated in the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Despite this defeat, remnants of the jihadist group continue to pose threats, albeit at a diminished scale, particularly in remote desert and mountainous areas. Iraqi forces are actively engaged in operations to neutralize these lingering threats.

The status of the coalition forces has long been a controversial issue within Iraq, especially amid tensions between the Iraqi government and Iran-backed militias. These militias have repeatedly targeted coalition troops, a situation that has been exacerbated by geopolitical tensions in the region since the onset of the conflict that began in late February of this year.

As the U.S. and its allies pivot away from direct military engagement in Iraq, the implications of this withdrawal will likely reverberate through the region, influencing both security policies and political relations among various factions in Iraq.

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