U.S. to begin talks with Iraq to potentially end coalition presence, Pentagon confirms

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that the U.S. would enter into talks with the Iraqi government to end the international military coalition presence in the country.

Roughly 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq after Baghdad invited Washington into the country to aid in combatting ISIS, according to The Hill. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission would begin meeting in the next few days, with the aim of forging "an enduring bilateral security partnership," Politico reported. 

The announcement comes amid mounting tensions in the Middle East stemming from the Israel-Gaza conflict and the heightened aggression of Iranian-backed proxies across the region. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has condemned U.S. strikes within Iraqi territory and asserted his nation's right to preserve its own sovereignty.

Iraq is home to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a state-endorsed coalition of paramilitary groups that formed in response to the Islamic State's campaign in the country. Some of the component militias enjoy support from Iran.

Earlier this month, a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad took out Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, a senior PMF official.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.