US and Iraq agree to troop withdrawal, economic partnership

US President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met at the White House on Tuesday, announcing a complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by September 30 and a shift toward economic cooperation Source: DW, AP News. The meeting marked al-Zaidi's first foreign trip since taking office in May.

Troop withdrawal and disarmament

Both leaders confirmed that the remaining US forces, fewer than 2,000, will leave Iraq by September 30, the same deadline al-Zaidi set for disarming Iran-backed militias. "After 30 September, we will not allow any entity to bear arms outside the state," al-Zaidi said Source: DW. However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, has rejected this pledge, raising doubts about implementation Source: Al Jazeera.

Economic deals and oil

The focus of the visit was on economic partnership. Al-Zaidi stated that US-Iraq relations are "shifting from militaristic to economic" Source: Al Jazeera. Trump vowed "a lot of deals," including an anticipated pipeline deal with Chevron, TI Capital, and Qatar's UCC to build a 2 million barrel-per-day pipeline from Basra to Turkey and Syria Source: DW. Iraq also seeks to increase oil production to 7 million bpd and secure an IMF loan of up to $8 billion Source: Al Jazeera.

Key points

• Troop withdrawal: US forces to leave Iraq by Sept 30, tied to militia disarmament Source: AP News.
• Militia challenge: Powerful Iran-backed groups have refused to disarm Source: Al Jazeera.
• Pipeline deal: Major infrastructure project announced to bypass Strait of Hormuz Source: DW.
• Economic shift: New strategic partnership focusing on energy and investment Source: Ground News.