Iraq’s Kurdish forces look to a new era after US withdrawal

What the report says

Iraq’s Kurdish Peshmerga forces are facing a new phase after the United States formally ended Operation Inherent Resolve and completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, according to Al Jazeera. The departure marks the end of a coalition mission that had supported Iraqi and Kurdish security efforts for 12 years against ISIL (ISIS). The article says the withdrawal has raised fresh security and political questions for the Kurdistan region, where the Peshmerga have long depended on outside backing, especially from the US.

Days before the coalition exit, the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil announced a merger of armed factions into a unified force. KRG President Nechirvan Barzani described the move as a step toward building one national command free of party influence. The unification brings forces linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan under one structure, although analysts cited by Al Jazeera said deeper rivalries and separate command structures could still complicate implementation.

Kurdish and regional officials told Al Jazeera the Peshmerga remain alert and continue to coordinate with Iraqi federal forces against possible ISIL activity. At the same time, some experts warned that Kurdish leaders are uneasy about what the US pullout means for long-term security, especially after Washington removed air defense systems as part of the withdrawal. The article says Erbil is seeking to preserve cooperation with Baghdad within Iraq’s federal framework while navigating a more uncertain security environment.