Iraqi PM tells US general no foreign troops will remain after September 30

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani told US Central Command chief General Charles Brad Cooper on Wednesday that all foreign military forces will be withdrawn from Iraq by September 30, with the country to be fully free of foreign military presence from October 1. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Media Office, al-Sudani reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to the previously agreed timeline, calling September 30 the definitive end date for the international coalition's military mission and the complete withdrawal of its forces. al-Sudani said October 1 would mark a new day for Iraq, allowing the country to fully restore its national sovereignty free of any foreign military presence. The statement noted that Iraq has reached a level where it can secure itself through its own security and military capabilities, adding that weapons should remain under state monopoly after the coalition's departure, in line with constitutional principles and supportive of national development and prosperity. Both sides confirmed that a full and final agreement has been reached on ending the coalition's military mission, consistent with understandings reached during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington in mid-July. They said Iraq-US relations would transition into cooperation in economic, development and security fields based on mutual respect and shared interests.