President Barzani reviews coalition pullout, military cooperation with Baghdad delegation
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday received a high-level Iraqi security delegation led by Army Chief of Staff Abdul-Amir Yarallah to discuss military coordination, counterterrorism efforts, and post-coalition security arrangements.
The Region’s Presidency reported that the discussions touched on the cooperation between the Iraqi army, the Peshmerga forces and the US-led Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS). Yarallah praised current Peshmerga-Iraqi army cooperation as “the best it has ever been,” with both parties agreeing to strengthen joint efforts further.
The talks also addressed Iraq-US security ties, border security - particularly with Syria - and the ongoing threat posed by ISIS. President Barzani stressed that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region “still require the international coalition’s support to combat terrorism,” within the framework of existing security agreements.
The two sides further reviewed the anticipated conclusion of the coalition’s mission, scheduled to end by September 2026.
The US was reportedly set to withdraw from bases in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and western Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase by late 2025.
However, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Monday quoted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani as stating that while the Ain al-Asad Air Base “is under the authority of the Iraqi army,” the US-led coalition still has advisors there whose role is limited to “coordination and technical support.”
As of mid-2025, the US maintained approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq. Rudaw previously learned that American troops withdrawing from their bases in federal Iraq would be redeployed to Erbil.
ISIS seized vast territories in Iraq in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated by the Iraqi army in 2017. Despite this, the group continues to threaten security in parts of the country through abductions, hit-and-run attacks, and bombings - especially in disputed territories claimed by both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Prior to their meeting with the Kurdistan Region President, the Iraqi top security delegation met with Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw, who reported the group would also meet with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani and KRG Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed.
Importantly, Deputy Commander of Baghdad’s Joint Operations Command, Qais al-Muhammadawi - who is currently chairing the Supreme Committee for Election Security - was among the members of the delegation.
Muhammadawi had told Rudaw on Sunday the visit aims to coordinate with the Kurdistan Region on protecting polling stations and border crossings during Iraq’s upcoming legislative elections, slated for November 11.
[Source: Rûdaw English]
