WASHINGTON: In a statement released Tuesday, the Pentagon reaffirmed its commitment to reducing its military presence in Iraq, a move that, according to a US official, will see Baghdad lead operations to fight Daesh remnants within its own borders.
According to the proposal, the United States and its coalition allies will instead concentrate on fighting Daesh remnants in Syria and relocate the majority of their personnel to the Kurdistan area of Iraq to accomplish that task, the official stated under anonymity.
At the beginning of 2025, the United States had over 2,500 troops in Iraq and over 900 in neighboring Syria as part of a coalition established in 2014 to fight Daesh as it spread throughout both nations.
