US faces another major Middle East troop withdrawal, but threat remains

The U.S. is withdrawing all troops from Iraq by Sept. 30 after a 20+ year military presence, though the threat from Iran-backed militias remains unresolved. The ISIS threat has substantially diminished, with attacks down 70% since 2023. However, Baghdad's effort to disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have resisted surrendering weapons won't be complete until June 30, 2027 at the earliest.