(Bloomberg) -- The US is seeking a new deal with Iraq that could keep American troops stationed in the country, after Baghdad said they are no longer needed as their original mission to defeat ISIS is complete.
Washington is in discussions with the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani for a broader bilateral relationship, which it aims to announce as soon as next week, two senior officials said Friday, speaking on the condition they not be named as the talks are ongoing. The new agreement would replace the US-led international coalition in place since 2014.
A continued US presence is needed to counter the regional threat from Iran, the officials said, as well as to continue fighting the Islamist group in Iraq and Syria.
The continued presence of troops from the US and other countries has become unpopular in Iraq, creating a political liability for Al-Sudani, who on Sunday said he hopes to soon announce a timetable for the withdrawal.
“The justifications are no longer there,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “There is no need for a coalition. We have moved on from wars to stability. ISIS is not really representing a challenge.”
The US, meanwhile, is uneasy with a total exit of its roughly 2,500 military personnel, fearing it would allow Iran to increase its influence within the country or for ISIS to regroup. While the US sees Iran as its chief regional foe, Iraq has sought more balanced ties with its neighbor, and last week hosted new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on his first trip abroad.
The Iraqi prime minister said he’s confident Iraq and the US will continue to cooperate on security and economic matters after a withdrawal, whatever the outcome of the November election between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
--With assistance from Joumanna Bercetche.
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