Iraq’s government has confirmed that the US-led military coalition is preparing to withdraw its forces from the Kurdistan region and transfer bases to Iraqi forces before a deadline of September 30.
The deadline was agreed on between Baghdad and Washington in 2024 as part of a broader agreement to transform the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq from combat and advisory roles to bilateral security co-operation. Kurdistan hosts several key coalition sites that have been used for training, logistics and air operations against ISIS remnants.
“Co-ordination is ongoing with the international coalition and work is under way to inventory the sites and hand them over to the competent Iraqi forces,” government spokesman Haider Al Aboudi said at a press conference.
“The work is proceeding at an organised pace towards completing this file on September 30 and these sites will be in the custody of Iraqi security agencies.” With about seven weeks until the deadline, Mr Al Aboudi added that planning was afoot at the highest military level and co-ordination teams from both sides were meeting regularly to ensure the process was completed without disruption.
Local officials described “unusual movement” of US forces in the semi-autonomous region in recent days, increasing speculation about an accelerated withdrawal. Early this month, the officials said convoys and equipment transfers had been observed in Erbil.
Mr Al Aboudi’s comments are the first official confirmation from Baghdad that the process in the region is on track for the September 30 target. He did not specify the number of sites being transferred or the number of personnel leaving.
Since 2014, the international coalition has operated in both federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to support Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS as well as the operations inside Syria. With the territorial defeat of the group in late 2017, Baghdad has pushed for a shift to advisory and intelligence-sharing roles conducted through bilateral agreements rather than a coalition framework.
Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi’s government has framed the transition as a step toward full Iraqi sovereignty over security matters, while maintaining that co-operation with the US and other coalition partners would continue in areas such as air defence, intelligence and counter-terrorism.
Security analysts note that the handover in Kurdistan carries operational and political weight. Operationally, Iraqi forces will assume responsibility for bases previously used by coalition trainers. Politically, the move addresses long-standing demands from factions in parliament to set a clear timeline for the end of the coalition’s presence.
The Pentagon has not publicly detailed its withdrawal plan for the Kurdistan Region, but US officials have previously said any transition would be done “in co-ordination with the Iraqi government” and would not leave gaps in the fight against ISIS.
The Iraqi government has also set a September 30 deadline for the disarmament of Iran-backed militias. The presence of the US troops in the country is the main pretext for these militias to keep their weapons. Only three groups have announced their integration into the security forces, while others are still resisting.
Mr Al Aboudi acknowledged that the process of bringing their weapons under state control is "complex". However, he said, the "dialogue is ongoing and under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister".
Last week, the government received significant support from Iraq’s leading political force, which issued its strongest warning yet to militias that failure to comply with the September 30 deadline would result in terrorism charges.
The threat came after a meeting late on Wednesday of the State Administration Coalition, a group of top Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political parties who form the government. Its backing to the government is essential to demonstrate broad political legitimacy.
The government spokesman acknowledged "concerns and reservations" about the process but stressed the government is moving deliberately and "is proceeding in an organised manner and with measured steps until we reach September 30”.
He made made clear that after the deadline, the government will enforce the law without exceptions. "After September 30, the final word will be with Iraqi law and the constitution. The state will be the one holding the force,” he said.
