HALABJA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday said that forces of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) are only present in the country at an “advisory capacity,” expressing confidence in Iraq's own security apparatus.

“Our friends in the Coalition forces are present solely in an advisory capacity. All counter-terrorism operations have been carried out by our own forces, with the Coalition serving as advisors," said Sudani during the ninth annual Sulaimani Forum.

Iraq and the US in September 2024 announced they had reached an agreement to wrap up the US-led coalition’s military presence in the country by “no later than the end of September 2025” and transition to bilateral security partnerships “in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS.”

The Iraqi government has repeatedly claimed that the Islamic State (ISIS) no longer poses a threat to the country’s national security and called for ending the coalition’s mission.

“Our current security situation is the best it has been in years, and it is the result of relentless effort and the sacrifices made by the Iraqi people,” said Sudani, adding that Baghdad and members of the US-led coalition are currently “working to organize this relationship more clearly.”

Reports in recent months have suggested that Baghdad could be reassessing the timeline for the withdrawal of the coalition forces, citing concerns over regional instability, including the rise of armed groups in Syria and potential policy shifts with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Commenting on developments in Syria in the wake of Assad's ouster, Sudani said at that Baghdad is “closely monitoring ISIS activity in Syria and continuously evaluating the threats they pose.”

The US has approximately 2,400 military personnel deployed in Iraq, and leads the global coalition against ISIS alongside 85 other international partners. US forces were deployed to Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government in 2014 to fight ISIS, which had then overrun large swathes of Iraqi territory in the north and west of the country.

Despite being territorially defeated in 2017, ISIS militants continue to pose a security threat in Iraq through hit-and-run operations and attacks on remote areas. Iraqi forces have intensified their efforts to eliminate these remnants, especially in provinces like Kirkuk, Anbar, and Nineveh, where ISIS cells remain active.