US and Iraq Announce Changes to Military Footprint After Years-Long Joint Fight Against ISIS

In a joint statement released on Sept. 27, the United States and Iraq announced plans for a transition from the current U.S.-led global coalition fighting ISIS to a bilateral security partnership. The Biden administration and Iraqi leaders said that over the next 12 months, the coalition’s military mission in Iraq will transition to a new phase aimed at supporting Iraqi forces while maintaining pressure on ISIS, with U.S. troops leaving some bases they have long occupied during a two-decade military presence in the country.   The statement, issued after what both parties described as nine months of intense discussions between the U.S.–Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) and coalition partners, outlines a plan for concluding the coalition’s military mission by September 2025....