"US and Iraq Initiate Talks to End Military Coalition Against ISIS"

The United States and Iraq have initiated formal talks to wind down the US-led military coalition's mission in Iraq, formed to combat the Islamic State group. This decision comes amid ongoing attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias, which have escalated in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The talks aim to assess the threat of IS, Iraqi Security Force capabilities, and operational requirements, with the goal of transitioning the mission in Iraq. The timing of the talks is not directly related to the recent attacks, and both nations had been discussing the terms of the mission's end since last year.