"US and Iraq in Talks to End Coalition Mission Against Islamic State"

The United States and Iraq have initiated formal talks to wind down the U.S.-led military coalition's mission formed to combat the Islamic State group in Iraq. The talks come amid ongoing drone attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias, and the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. The U.S. plans to establish a committee to negotiate the terms of the mission's end, with the timing unrelated to the attacks. The issue of U.S. presence in Iraq has been contentious since the 2003 invasion, and Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces.