Published on, Oct. 1 -- October 1, 2025 3:20 PM

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that it is scaling back its military mission in Iraq, handing over greater responsibility to Baghdad for combating remnants of the Islamic State within the country. A US defense official confirmed that the remaining American forces will transition away from direct counter-ISIS operations, instead focusing on bilateral security cooperation with Iraq's government. This marks a significant step in shifting control of the country's security to Iraqi authorities after years of reliance on coalition support.

Under the new plan, US and coalition allies will redirect their focus toward combating Islamic State remnants in Syria, where the threat remains more persis...