ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Washington and Baghdad have not set any timelines for changes in the number of US troops in Iraq, a Pentagon spokesperson said on Tuesday. “U.S. forces are in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq. We remain in close consultation with the Iraqi government when it comes to U.S. force presence in Iraq, in particular the safety and security of those forces. No timelines have been set in regards to U.S. force levels,” Major Pete Nguyen, US Department of Defense spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday. The US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) on Sunday met in Baghdad to “assess the military situation, the level of danger, the operational environment, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces,” Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said in a statement on X. With that assessment, a timetable will be formulated for a “well-studied and gradual reduction” of coalition forces leading to the conclusion of the coalition’s mission in Iraq and “transitioning to a bilateral relationship,” he said. “As part of the Higher Military Commission (HMC), Department of Defense officials remain engaged in a coordinated and deliberate process with the Government of Iraq to discuss the evolution of the Defeat-ISIS Global Coalition’s military mission in a manner that preserves gains and helps ensure ISIS can never again resurge,” Major Nguyen added, referring to the Islamic State (ISIS). Sudani in late January presided over the first round of talks of the HMC, the purpose of which was to evaluate the coalition’s future role in Iraq based on the level of ISIS threat, operational and environmental requirements, and the capabilities of Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi government has repeatedly said it wants to end the presence of foreign military forces in the country after the US, to Baghdad’s ire, conducted several retaliatory strikes targeting state-linked armed groups that are backed by Iran.
