US, Coalition Partners Conclude Military Mission in Iraq, Pentagon Says

The United States and its coalition partners have concluded their military mission in Iraq, according to a statement from the Pentagon, marking a formal transition from the wartime coalition effort to a security approach led by Iraqi forces.

The Pentagon said the shift reflects the completion of the coalition's mission, which had focused on combating ISIS and supporting Iraqi security forces over more than a decade of operations following the group's rise in the region.

Under the new arrangement, responsibility for security operations in Iraq moves more fully to Iraqi-led forces, with the coalition's wartime role formally coming to an end, according to the Pentagon's characterization of the transition.

Details about the specific scope of remaining US or coalition presence, if any, and the timeline for any further troop movements were not fully outlined in the available Pentagon statement.

The transition follows years of gradual drawdown of coalition forces in Iraq as the fight against ISIS shifted from large-scale combat operations to a more limited advisory and support role in recent years.

The Iraqi government has not issued additional public comment beyond the Pentagon's announcement, according to available reporting on the transition.