Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Tuesday that “no one is under the impression that ISIS is not still a threat in the region. That threat has changed over the course of time.”

“The threat of ISIS has certainly evolved from what it was ten years ago. Today that threat looks different, which is why you have seen us change our relationship,” she added. 

“And the involvement from the global coalition to defeat ISIS, the military arm of that is changing to a bilateral security agreement with the Iraqi government. It is a phased approach that is going to take time.”

The Wall Street Journal in September reported that the U.S. and Iraq have agreed to withdraw U.S. and other foreign troops from Iraq by the end of 2026. However, a small contingent of U.S. forces is expected to remain, likely in the Kurdistan Region. So far, both sides have not officially announced any timeline.

In the past, Iran-aligned militias have targeted coalition bases, calling for the complete withdrawal of coalition troops.

Top Kurdish officials have emphasized the importance of the troops remaining in the country due the continued threat of ISIS.

“This is not the time to reduce coalition forces in Iraq,” the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Special Representative to the United States Treefa Aziz recently told Fox News Digital. 

“Extremist groups like ISIS and armed militias continue to pose a serious threat to the people of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”