The planned withdrawal of US forces from Iraq will include all territories, including the Kurdistan Region, a senior military expert confirmed on November 17.

US and Western allied forces have had several bases in Iraq since the 2003 invasion of the country, which led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein and his ultimate execution. Despite saying on several occasions the US would leave Iraq, the government has changed direction following the war in Syria and, latterly, the rise of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). More recently, US forces in Kurdish areas have been under increasing attacks by Iranian-backed groups. 

Jabbar Yawar, a Kurdish military affairs specialist, told Baghdad Today that the United States continues to implement its agreement with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement signed between both sides, and this policy will remain unchanged even after Donald Trump's arrival to the presidency.

"Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has formed several committees to implement the provisions related to the US forces withdrawal, which means the same policy will continue in Iraq," Yawar said.

He added that "American policy is consistent, and any withdrawal will be complete without being limited to a specific area or maintaining forces in the Region, as the agreement between the Iraqi and US governments is clear."

The comments follow Prime Minister al-Sudani's April 15 visit to Washington, where he met with US President Joe Biden at the White House.

During the visit, al-Sudani described Iraqi-US relations as reaching "an important turning point," stressing the need to transition from military-security relations to a comprehensive partnership.

According to a joint statement issued in September 2024, the US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq will end by September 2025, transitioning to bilateral security partnerships.

Sources previously told local media that the plan includes the withdrawal of hundreds of coalition forces by next September, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026.

Earlier in September, Allawi al-Bindawi, a parliamentary Security and Defence Committee member, told Baghdad Today, "Very soon, the end of the international coalition's mission in Iraq will be announced. The ongoing negotiations aim to end this coalition's mission and remove the remaining foreign forces from all Iraqi territories."

Al-Bindawi stated that the decision comes after improvements in the security situation and the complete military control by Iraqi forces.