According to Kurdistan Press, according to an Associated Press report, US and Iraqi officials say that the withdrawal of US military forces from Iraq is proceeding as planned and that it is set to end by September 30, equivalent to 8 October; a move that will end the US military presence in Iraq after more than two decades.

A US official confirmed on Wednesday that Washington expects its troop withdrawal to be completed by September 30, but did not elaborate on the number of troops remaining in Iraq or the destination of their redeployment.After meeting with Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that September 30 would be the “definite and final date” for the end of the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq and the withdrawal of its forces.

However, a significant part of this process concerns the Kurdistan Region. After withdrawing from their bases in most parts of Iraq last year, American forces had maintained a military presence in the Kurdistan Region, a presence that has been repeatedly targeted since the US and Israel began a war against Iran on February 28.

Two Iraqi Kurdish officials told The Associated Press that the process of reducing American forces and transferring military equipment from Erbil began about three weeks ago. The two officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to comment publicly.The report shows that the US withdrawal from Erbil, contrary to what might have been seen as a sudden and independent decision, is now being pursued within the framework of a broader plan by Washington and Baghdad to end the coalition's military mission in Iraq. A significant portion of US troops and equipment stationed in the region have also been withdrawn from Erbil in recent weeks, and it is likely that some of the US military capacity in the region will be transferred to other locations.

Explaining the end of the coalition mission, a US official said that the US, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved "significant success" in defeating ISIS, and that from now on, Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces of the Kurdistan Region, will bear the main responsibility for confronting terrorist groups in Iraq.

The US military presence in Iraq began in 2003, after the invasion of the country.The number of American troops at the peak of counter-insurgency operations in 2007 reached more than 170,000, and the last American combat troops left Iraq in December 2011. However, with the emergence of ISIS in 2014 and the seizure of large areas of Iraq and Syria, American forces returned to Iraq at the invitation of the Baghdad government.

Although the coalition military operation against ISIS ended in 2021, the United States maintained about 2,500 troops to train Iraqi forces and support anti-ISIS operations in Iraq. Now, with the implementation of the 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington, this presence is also on the verge of ending.

For the Kurdistan Region, the US withdrawal is of particular importance, because Washington has been one of the most important military and security partners of the Peshmerga forces in recent years.The end of this presence could shift the region’s security balance, its deterrence against regional threats, and Erbil’s relationship with Baghdad to a new level. It also raises serious questions about the future of US security cooperation with the Peshmerga forces after September 30.