Iraq says seeking ‘quick’ exit of US troops but no deadline set

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani described the US presence as destabilising because of the regional spillover from Israel’s war on Gaza.

“There is a need to reorganise this relationship so it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,” al-Sudani told Reuters.

“Let’s agree on a timeframe [for the coalition’s exit] that is, honestly, quick so they don’t remain long and the attacks keep happening.”

He added: “This [end of the Gaza war] is the only solution. Otherwise, we will see more expansion of the arena of conflict in a sensitive region for the world that holds much of its energy supply.”

The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria to assist with efforts to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) group, which took over large swathes of both countries in 2014, before being defeated by international forces.

The armed Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for carrying out over 100 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The presence of American forces has long prompted a backlash in Iraq. Following the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the former deputy head of the PMF who was killed in a US drone strike alongside Iranian general Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport in January 2020, Iraq’s parliament passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of foreign troops in the country.