Iraq Rejects Proposal to Keep Coalition Forces Beyond September 30
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has rejected a proposal to keep some international coalition forces in Iraq beyond September 30, government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said Monday, as reported by Anadolu.
Speaking at a press conference cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), al-Aboudi said the government is continuing procedures and commitments to restrict weapons, regulate their use and unify decision-making. He said talks with factions are “proceeding regularly” and will be completed before the September 30 deadline.
“State decisions are built on the basis of national interests,” al-Aboudi said, describing the talks as positive and adding that the next stage would be based on cooperation and mutual interests. He said al-Zaidi rejected a proposal for some coalition forces to remain after September 30, without specifying which country had put forward the proposal. He added that the government is closely monitoring regional developments and that “Iraq will not be part of the conflict.”
The September 30 deadline was set by Iraqi authorities for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops. Al-Zaidi announced in early July that the international coalition contingent would end its mission in Iraq on September 30, 2026, stressing that “The Iraqi forces are already capable of defending the homeland.”
During a meeting with US Central Command Commander Gen. Brad Cooper on August 12, al-Zaidi said that September 30 would mark the end of the coalition’s military mission, and that “Oct. 1 would mark a new day in Iraq’s statehood,” with the country free of any foreign military presence.
The two sides affirmed their agreement to end the coalition’s military mission, while Iraqi-US relations would shift toward economic and security cooperation based on mutual respect for sovereignty and shared interests.
The US-led international coalition was established in 2014 to fight Daesh/ISIS after the terrorist group seized large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria. Iraq declared military victory over ISIS in December 2017 after retaking territory held by the group, while coalition forces remained in the country in an advisory and training role at Baghdad’s request.