Iraq Warns ISIS Could Cross From Syria After 2026 US Troop Exit

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 2

Fuad Hussein said Iraq is preparing for possible Islamic State infiltration from Syria, a day after the U.S. formally ended its counter-ISIS mission in Iraq.
The warning followed recent ISIS activity in Syria, including Syrian authorities' breakup of a cell across four provinces and the arrest of four leaders with explosives prepared for attacks.
Baghdad says its forces can now contain the remaining threat without a large U.S.-led coalition, even as U.S. officials still assess ISIS retains scattered cells in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. withdrawal ends a mission that began in 2014 under Operation Inherent Resolve and follows more than two decades of American military involvement in Iraq.
Iraq now wants a bilateral security relationship with Washington while also trying to bring Iran-backed militias under state control, as spillover from the U.S.-Iran conflict adds pressure.