News:

The United States has announced that it is closing the chapter on its direct military presence in Iraq, while repositioning a portion of its forces to Jordan and maintaining limited capabilities to protect diplomatic missions and confront the ISIS organization when necessary. This move comes amidst Iraqi efforts to reorganize the security landscape. (Arab 48, September 30, 2026)

Comment:

From time to time, the US announces the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq, only for it to later emerge that its troops remain present. During its conflict with Iran, the US launched numerous attacks inside Iraq using helicopters—indicating the existence of US airbases within the country. Politicians in Iraq boast that the US no longer occupies Iraq, yet the US once again announces the withdrawal of its forces!

The government in Iraq had set a deadline for armed factions in Iraq expiring on September 30—the very day the US announced its withdrawal. It demanded that these factions and parties surrender their weapons and disband their armed wings. This move aligns with the US policy of eliminating Iran’s role in Iraq and rooting out its remaining influence; the timing of these events reveals the underlying objective: the government appears to be telling the people of Iraq that the US no longer occupies the country, and therefore, they must lay down their arms. At the same time, however, the US has announced that it is maintaining forces in Baghdad—ostensibly to protect its embassy—following the relocation of equipment and a Patriot missile battery from Erbil Airport. This implies that the US occupation of Iraq persists, notwithstanding years of deceptive statements by the Iraqi government.

Even more striking is the US announcement regarding the transfer and reinforcement of its troops in Jordan; it is shifting forces from one Muslim state to another, demonstrating a firm commitment to maintaining a military presence in the region rather than withdrawing. These forces could be redeployed to Iraq at any time under any pretext; indeed, the US has stated that its troops in Jordan are capable of launching operations in Iraq—which it labels “counter-terrorism”—from that location.

Thus, the government in Iraq is carrying out the US agenda—disarming factions and curbing Iranian influence—by removing the very pretext factions of Iraq have clung to: the presence of the US occupation. Equally egregious is the Jordanian regime’s willingness to allow the US to exploit Jordan’s resources and place them at its disposal; the US moves troops from Iraq to Jordan as casually as it would from Florida to Texas—and yet, the Jordanian regime still speaks of independence!