LONDON: The US is planning to cut off military aid to Iraqi Kurds, four sources with knowledge of the situation have told the BBC.
The move was conveyed by the US Department of Defense to leaders of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Under the plan, the US would shun the renewal of an expiring agreement to provide assistance to the Peshmerga, the Kurdish security force.
The BBC spoke to two officials involved in behind-the-scenes talks and two other sources with knowledge of the matter, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
The memorandum of understanding on security between the Pentagon and the Kurdish Regional Government is set to expire on Sept. 30, the day the US and other countries are expected to withdraw their last remaining forces from Iraq.
The withdrawal will represent a formal end to the international military coalition against Daesh, which included the Peshmerga. The coalition fought to end the terrorist group’s control of swathes of Iraq and Syria.
The only remaining US military base in Iraq, located in Kurdistan’s capital Irbil, is set to close in September upon the withdrawal of coalition forces.
In the 2026 fiscal year, the Peshmerga — which has about 180,000 troops in Iraqi Kurdistan — received $61 million for weapons, training and stipends through the Pentagon’s program to counter Daesh.
A source familiar with Pentagon operations said a final decision is still being reviewed, and Washington is considering ways to maintain some security support in Iraq and its Kurdish region following the withdrawal.
In response to a request for comment by the BBC, the White House referred to a Pentagon spokesperson, who highlighted a statement by the Department of Defense summarizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi in July.
“The US, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating Daesh and now the Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan Region security forces, will lead the fight against terrorists in Iraq,” the statement said.
A State Department spokesperson said Washington is focused on the troop withdrawal and ensuring that Al-Zaidi is “positioned to disarm Iran-aligned terrorist militias and safeguard Iraqi sovereignty.”
Last December, the US opened its largest worldwide consulate in Irbil at a cost of $800 million.
Michael Rigas, a senior State Department official, said at the opening ceremony that the facility was “a testament to the value of the relationship between the US and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.”
Though the US has not revealed how many American troops remain in Iraq, experts believe the figure is under 1,000, down from 170,000 at the peak of the Iraq War.
Baghdad and Washington have discussed a potential defense pact in recent meetings, and the latter has signaled its openness to a bilateral security arrangement.
Last month, Al-Zaidi — who was elected in May — highlighted the troop withdrawal during a visit to Washington.
“Oct. 1 will mark a new day in the trajectory of the Iraqi state, as Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence,” his office said in a statement at the time.
Analysts said the US withdrawal will also reduce American forces’ exposure to Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Kurdish region. Tehran conducted a series of strikes against US bases in the area, including in Irbil.
