US plans to cut off military aid to key Middle East ally, BBC told

What the report says

The BBC reports that the Trump administration is planning to stop renewing a US military aid agreement for Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, which supports the Peshmerga force. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Pentagon officials have told Kurdish leaders that security assistance is not expected to be extended when the current memorandum expires on 30 September. The aid has funded weapons, training and stipends through the counter-IS programme.

The reported shift comes as US and coalition troops prepare to leave Iraq under a separate withdrawal timeline agreed by Washington and Baghdad. That departure would end the international military campaign against Islamic State, in which the Peshmerga fought alongside US-led forces. Kurdish officials and analysts warn that cutting the aid could weaken a longstanding partner and leave the region more exposed to Iranian missile and drone attacks, which have increased sharply in recent months.

The BBC says the issue is still under review and that the administration has not announced a final decision. The reporting also notes that the US is considering some form of continued security support for Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, even as the troop withdrawal proceeds. The debate is significant because it tests Washington’s commitments to a partner that played a central role in the anti-IS effort and now faces a more volatile security environment.