Ten days after the Hamas attack on October 7th and the start of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, Iran-aligned militias in Iraq resumed attacking U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria following a long period of inactivity. The January 28th deaths of three U.S. Army reservists at Tower 22, a base in Jordan supporting the U.S. mission in Syria, from a drone attack by an Iran-aligned militia in Iraq, highlights the risks faced by U.S. troops in the region.
In mid-April, the Iraqi Prime Minister and U.S. Secretary of Defense discussed ongoing security cooperation and the future of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Will U.S. troops actually leave Iraq and what are the implications on security, U.S. influence, and regional stability? Will Iran-aligned militias begin to escalate against U.S. troops in the near future? If so, how will Washington respond? What is the effect of U.S. troops in Iraq on Iraqi politics? And how can the U.S. continue to support Iraq and maintain influence after U.S. troops withdraw?
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