The US Department of Defense says its forces in Iraq have ended their combat mission and will instead take on a training and advisory role for the country's military, Trend reports citing NHK.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday that the number of US troops in Iraq would not drastically change. The US has about 2,500 troops stationed in Iraq.
The US-led coalition sent its forces to Iraq in 2014 to defeat the Islamic State extremist group after the militants captured wide swaths of the country and neighboring Syria.
Before the mission, US-led coalition forces had fought the Iraq War, which began in 2003. Washington completed the withdrawal of all US troops in 2011.
The end of the combat mission in Iraq comes as the Biden administration has been reviewing US policy for the Middle East. Washington pulled out its troops from Afghanistan in August to shift more resources to dealing with China, which the administration calls the "most serious competitor."
Iraq's security situation remains volatile, however. The country has still been suffering attacks by Islamic State militants. The Baghdad residence of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was attacked by an explosives-laden drone last month. He escaped unharmed.
Attention is now focused on whether Iraq's military and police will be able to maintain security on their own.