Iraq is close to ending the international coalition's mission in the country, with recent regional developments unlikely to affect the withdrawal, a parliamentary security committee said on September 23.

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. 

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.

He said that recent regional developments would not impact this withdrawal, especially given the Iraqi government and political insistence on expediting this file to ensure Iraq's stability.

Mukhtar al-Mousawi, a representative from the Fatah Alliance, praised the government's determination to resolve the issue of foreign troop withdrawal on Wednesday.

He said, "The Iraqi government, led by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is serious and determined to end the file of removing foreign forces from all Iraqi territories as quickly as possible."

Al-Mousawi added that while the US side seeks to procrastinate, there is a strong Iraqi governmental will to resolve the issue, supported politically and popularly.

Despite announcements that ending the international coalition's mission was a key focus of al-Sudani's visit to Washington in mid-April, most discussions and signed memoranda of understanding focused on transitioning the relationship from security to other developmental aspects without entirely ending security cooperation.

The US previously said it would begin the process of leaving the country by 2025, with the job finished by 2026, officials in Washington said to Politico on September 20.

“ISIS has definitely been severely defeated, certainly territorially defeated, and we want to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, but the threat does remain,” a senior Defence Department official told the magazine.

American and Iraqi special forces have worked on finishing off remnants of ISIS in recent months, including indirectly backed by groups including the Iran-backed paramilitary forces otherwise known as the PMF.

In early January 2024, a US airstrike targeted a PMF base in eastern Baghdad, resulting in the deaths of two commanders and injuries to six others.

This attack has been widely attributed to US forces, although the specific details and justifications for the strike remain subjects of controversy. That event is part of a broader pattern of confrontations, with the PMF frequently accusing the US of aggression and violations of Iraqi sovereignty.

In response to US actions, the head of the PMF, Faleh al-Fayyad, confirmed in 2023 a retaliatory stance against what is perceived as US aggression, particularly concerning attacks in the regions of Akashat and Al-Qaim in western Anbar.

This has been framed as a defence of national dignity and sovereignty, with the significant public and governmental backlash against the US presence and actions in Iraq​.