Iraqi Prime Minister Calls for US Troop Withdrawal to Stabilize Region

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani reiterated the country’s intent to begin the process of a US troop withdrawal. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Sudani expressed the belief that the continued presence of US forces could escalate regional tensions and further destabilize the already contentious region. Without providing a specific deadline, he argued that Iraq is now capable of defending itself from terrorism and emphasized the need for the withdrawal to occur through a “process of understanding and dialogue.”

Currently, the US has approximately 2,500 military personnel stationed in Iraq as part of a coalition force initially deployed to combat the Islamic State insurgency which had conquered a large swath of northern Iraq during the 2010s. Sudani argues that, with ISIS largely defeated, Iraq should exercise full sovereignty over its territory.

Sudani, and other leaders of Iraq’s Shia majority, constituting about 65% of the population, have been increasingly calling for reduced US involvement, particularly in response to U.S. strikes targeting Iran-backed militias. These paramilitary groups, integrated into Iraq’s official security apparatus, have carried out numerous attacks on US military installations in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Operating independently of traditional oversight by the formal Iraqi Armed Forces, these factions function under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Front, a coalition of militias established in 2014 that waged war against ISIS.

“There is a need to reorganize this relationship so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,” Sudani said during the interview, highlighting the domestic tensions emanating from the current situation.

He underscored that only an end to the war in Gaza could ensure stability and prevent and prevent “an expansion of the arena of conflict in a sensitive region for the world that holds much of its energy supply.”

As of Monday, the Pentagon stated that there is currently no plan to pull troops out of Iraq, citing that the Iraqi government has not officially rescinded its invitation.