US, Iraq Discuss Transition of Forces—not Their Withdrawal
“At no point did we discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq," Patel stated.

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – The question of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq is not an issue on the agenda in talks between Washington and Baghdad.
That point was made unambiguously clear by Deputy State Department Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Iran has sought to exploit the conflict between Israel and Hamas, ongoing since Oct. 7, to undermine the U.S. position in the Middle East, including in Iraq.
As part of that effort, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have regularly attacked U.S. forces there.
Read More: US: ”Iranian-Backed Shia Militia Group” behind Ain Al Asad Airbase Attack
Another part of that effort involves disinformation. Iran and pro-Iranian elements in Iraq seek to create problems between Baghdad and Washington. Related to that, they misrepresent the talks between Baghdad and Washington about the future of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Those discussions do not involve the withdrawal of U.S. troops, as Patel made clear. Rather, the discussions are about transitioning the basis for the U.S. military presence in Iraq from one based on the anti-ISIS Coalition to one based on a bilateral agreement.
Transition of U.S. Forces from Anti-ISIS Coalition to ‘Bilateral Security Partnership’
One reporter at Wednesday’s briefing, echoing the pro-Iranian line, advised Patel, “There are some reports suggesting that the U.S. and Iraq has reached an agreement about the withdrawal of the U.S. forces in Iraq, and it starts the next month.”
“Also,” the reporter continued, “the Iraqi foreign minister is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. to meet with the U.S. officials on this agreement. Do you have anything to share with us on this?”
Patel’s response, in essence, was to tell the journalist that he was simply mistaken.
Patel did not address the question of whether Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s Foreign Minister, would be coming to Washington, but he rubbished the notion that Iraq was asking the U.S. to withdraw its forces.
After all, ISIS is not defeated—not in Syria, as The Wall Street Journal just reported.
Read More: ISIS Resurgent in Syria: WSJ Report
And ISIS is not defeated in Iraq, as Maj. Gen. Abdul Khaliq Talaat, the Kurdish Representative to Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, recently told Kurdistan 24.
Read More: ISIS remains a persistent threat to Iraq's security, warns Kurdistan Region Major General
US-Iraq Discussions Do Not Involve Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq
“At no point did we”—Washington and Baghdad—“discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq” was the key point in Patel’s response to the journalist who somehow thought that U.S. troops would start leaving Iraq next month.
Patel began by providing some background. “We have held discussions with the Government of Iraq on the future of Operation Inherent Resolve (the anti-ISIS Coalition) since last year.”
“This includes when Prime Minister Sudani met with President Biden here in D.C. in April,” Patel continued.
That visit marked the first trip of the Iraqi Prime Minister to Washington—or any Western capital, and his visit appeared to go well.
Read More: U.S. Seeks to Broaden Ties with Iraq, as PM Sudani Makes First Visit to Washington
“At no point did we discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq,” Patel added, debunking the premise of the reporter’s question.
“But we continued to discuss the transition to what we would say [is] a bilateral security partnership, as highlighted in Prime Minister Sudani’s readout of his call with Secretary Blinken,” Patel continued.
Blinken and Sudani spoke on Monday, amid major tensions in the region, driven by the confrontation between Israel and Iran.
The U.S, readout of their discussion was positive and concluded with the statement, “The Secretary and the Prime Minister committed to continuing to consult one another on issues in the region and to advance the U.S.-Iraq relationship.”
Read More: Blinken, Sudani Speak Again Amid Expectations of Iranian Attack on Israel
“These discussions are ongoing,” Patel continued, as he finished his response, explaining that they are rooted in our “mutual commitment to security cooperation and a shared interest in regional stability.”