ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States will remain committed to the security of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq after the US-led coalition mission in Iraq concludes on September 30, a US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson told Rudaw, saying American forces based elsewhere in the region will remain prepared to respond to emerging threats.
"We are on track to fulfill our commitment to end the Operation Inherent Resolve, a coalition mission” initiated 12 years ago “from Iraq by the end of this month," Captain Tim Hawkins, the spokesperson for CENTCOM, told Rudaw in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
"That mission itself will continue and [be] based elsewhere," he stated, affirming that “when threats emerge, the US military will continue to work with regional partners, including Iraqi security forces, Peshmerga, and other Kurdistan Region forces in addressing those threats.”
“US security forces, Iraqi security forces, as well as our coalition partners, have had tremendous success in the fight against [the Islamic State] ISIS and now we are transitioning to enabling the Iraq security forces, the Peshmerga, also the Kurdistan security forces to take the lead in the fight against any terrorist remnants in Iraq," Hawkins said, framing the transition as “an important milestone.”
The remarks come amid a fast-approaching deadline for the departure of the US-led Coalition against ISIS less than two weeks away - a development that has roused concerns as the Kurdistan Region faces a precarious security juncture, particularly against the backdrop of continued ISIS activity and escalating regional tensions involving Iran and Iran-aligned armed groups within Iraq.
The US redeployed its Patriot air defense systems from its base inside Erbil airport in late July and transferred them to Jordan in a surprise 72-hour pullout, a move that rattled Kurdish officials in the Kurdistan Region.
In light of looming uncertainties, Hawkins assured that Washington's commitment to regional security would continue.
"What is changing is that now our partner forces, particularly in Iraq and in the Kurdistan Region, and the Peshmerga, will be in the lead in the fight against terrorists in Iraq," he said.
While Hawkins stated that CENTCOM believes Iraqi and Kurdish forces are now prepared to lead counterterrorism efforts, he stressed that they would not be left entirely to their own devices.
"They won’t lead the fight alone," he said, emphasizing that US forces “from other locations remain fully poised and prepared to address any emerging threats that may arise from terrorist remnants.”
Threats of IRGC affiliated armed groups in Iraq
Hawkins emphasized the absence of “a proportionate loss of life” despite “thousands of drones and missiles” targeted at Gulf countries by Iran and Iran-aligned groups due to its "robust air and missile defense effort” with “regional partners and allies.”
Damage to regional infrastructure presents another layer of concern amid accusations of Iran-aligned groups using Iraqi territory as a "launch-pad" for attacks.
Baghdad faces growing pressure over the future of powerful Iran-aligned armed groups operating in Iraq, particularly after Saudi Arabia accused groups of targeting a vital oil pipeline that helped the Kingdom bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi first pledged to reform Iraq’s security sector and consolidate arms under state control in his May inaugural speech and set the September 30 deadline shortly thereafter, a pledge he reaffirmed in his meeting with US President Donald Trump in July.
The disarmament deadline notably coincided with the scheduled completion of the US-led Coalition's military withdrawal from Iraq, according to an agreement in 2024 between Washington and Baghdad.
But challenges await in disarming three powerful groups; Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, who are pushing to "regulate" weapons as opposed to complete disarmament - effectively merging their arms into the state-funded Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an institution which comprises factions aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ which since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February have carried out attacks against alleged US targets in the region, often operating through shadow groups under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI).
While some groups have expressed willingness to comply with Zaidi's push, the three Iran-aligned factions have cited the continued presence of foreign forces - including those from the US-led global Coalition to Defeat ISIS - as pretext for non-compliance.
Ali al-Assadi, a top official from Nujaba emphasized in early September the "sanctity" of the “resistance weapons” in light of “the real and serious dangers and threats facing the country and the region, and the means necessary to confront them."
Asked about the broader disarmament process, Hawkins did not give a direct assessment of the Iraqi government's progress. Instead, he stressed that American forces would respond to threats against US personnel and assets.
"US forces will continue to remain vigilant and address any threats against its forces, American personnel or our interests in the region," he said, emphasizing that US forces retain "more than 50,000 US service members, plenty of ships and aircraft ready to carry out any assigned tasks from our military and civilian leaders."
"We remain present, vigilant, lethal, and ready," Hawkins warned.
The comments come days after the US Inspector General released its first report to Congress on Operation Epic Fury, covering the US campaign against Iran from April 1 through June 30, which details the scale and scope of American military operations as well as Iranian attacks on US interests across the region.
"Mission Iraq experienced more than 600 attacks during the reporting period,” the report outlined, resulting in damages to multiple buildings in the US Consulate General in Erbil's new consulate compound.
The US embassy in Baghdad likewise suffered damage but to a lesser extent, whereas the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Compound, located near Baghdad International Airport, “suffered extensive damage," according to the report.
Hawkins stated that whereas Iran was able to launch hundreds of missiles and drones within short periods at the beginning of the conflict, Iran's military resources have been “significantly degraded in their missile, drone and naval capabilities" with US operations having reduced both missile and drone launch capabilities and “crippled” its capacity to manufacture replacements.
Referring to Iran’s ability to disrupt maritime transit in the region, Hawkins made a striking claim: “That doesn’t happen today. They don’t have any - because we put them to the bottom of the sea.”
“Since May, the US military has assisted more than 1900 vessels through the Strait of Hormuz” and enabled the shipping of “more than 900 million barrels of oil” through the strait to the global marketplace, Hawkins said, pointing to a “momentum” that is “expanding.”
Hawkins nonetheless acknowledged that Iran remains a threat, saying that Tehran still has the ability to threaten innocent civilians in neighboring countries, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and American personnel in the region.
Nevertheless, Hawkins lauded Kurds as a “strong partner for [many] years” and underscored the US military’s commitment to regional security, affirming that its forces “will not hesitate to confront any threat that emerges” and citing ongoing efforts in strengthening existing partnerships and strengthening air defenses “shoulder to shoulder” with regional partners.
