The Pentagon said on Monday it was not currently planning to withdraw its roughly 2,500 troops from Iraq, despite Baghdad's announcement last week it would begin the process of removing the US-led military coalition from the country, Reuters reported.
"Right now, I'm not aware of any plans (to plan for withdrawal). We continue to remain very focused on the defeat ISIS mission," Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder was quoted as having told a news briefing, using an acronym for Islamic State. He added that US forces are in Iraq at the invitation of its government.
Ryder said he was also unaware of any notification by Baghdad to the Department of Defense about a decision to remove US troops, and referred reporters to the U.S. State Department for any diplomatic discussions on the matter.
The comments come several days after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced the moves to evict US forces following a US drone strike in Baghdad that was condemned by the government.
The Pentagon said the strike killed a militia leader responsible for recent attacks on US personnel.
Sudani's office released a statement saying a committee would be formed to "put arrangements to end the presence of the international coalition forces in Iraq permanently."
The US strike on Thursday, which was pre-authorized by President Joe Biden and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before Austin was admitted to a hospital, followed dozens of attacks on bases in Iraq and Syria which host US troops.
These attacks have been on the rise since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. The US military has come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and Syria since that time and has retaliated by striking Iranian-linked sites in both Iraq and Syria.