US-led forces begin pullout from Iraq's Kurdistan region

US-led coalition forces have begun withdrawing from Iraq's Kurdistan region, ending a military presence that dates back to 2014, when the coalition was formed to combat the Islamic State (ISIS) after the group seized large swaths of Iraqi and Syrian territory. The Kurdistan Region, governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from its capital Erbil, hosted coalition troops and advisers who worked alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces during years of ground operations against ISIS strongholds in Mosul, Kirkuk, and surrounding areas. The pullout reflects a broader shift in Washington's regional military posture, as coalition partners reassess troop levels across Iraq following the near-total territorial defeat of ISIS and years of pressure from Baghdad to scale back the foreign military footprint. The withdrawal timeline and final troop numbers involved have not been fully detailed in available reporting. For Qatar and the wider Gulf, any recalibration of US force posture in Iraq carries strategic weight: Doha hosts the region's largest American military installation at Al Udeid Air Base, which has served as a logistics and command hub for coalition operations against ISIS since the same period. Qatari officials have consistently emphasized the importance of sustained international counter-terrorism cooperation and stability in Iraq, given Baghdad's proximity to the Gulf and its relevance to regional energy security. The move also comes amid continued debate in Washington and allied capitals over the future shape of US military commitments across Iraq and Syria as counter-ISIS operations wind down.