The United States plans to complete the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq by September 30, where hundreds of American service members still remain. At the same time, most Iran-backed armed groups do not plan to comply with Baghdad's demand for disarmament, the Associated Press reports, writes UNN.
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U.S. troops currently remain mainly in semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. According to a U.S. official, they will be redeployed mostly to Jordan and other countries in the region.
Equipment, including air defense systems, will be withdrawn from Iraq along with the troops. After that, Washington and Baghdad may move to "normal bilateral security cooperation," although its future format has not yet been determined.
Armed groups do not intend to remain without weapons
The Iraqi government linked the end of the U.S. military presence to the disarmament of non-state formations. However, most of them have already made it clear that they do not intend to lay down their arms.
Iran-backed Iraqi groups attacked U.S.-linked facilities in Iraq and beyond after the war between the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28. According to the AP, they also coordinated actions with Yemen's Houthis during attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. military fears that after their withdrawal, these groups will retain the ability to attack targets in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel. At the same time, these risks did not change Washington's decision to complete the withdrawal of troops by the end of September.