Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Monday that a small number of U.S. military advisers will remain in the country to coordinate with American forces in Syria against the Islamic State group.

The U.S. and Iraq had agreed last year to wind down the American-led coalition fighting ISIS by September, including withdrawals from several bases. Al-Sudani said advisers and support personnel are now stationed at the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, a base near Baghdad airport, and the al-Harir air base in the north.

The prime minister noted that although the original plan called for a full U.S. pullout from Ain al-Asad, “developments in Syria” required keeping 250–350 personnel at the base to support counter-ISIS surveillance and coordinate with the al-Tanf base in Syria. He added that other U.S. bases are seeing gradual reductions in personnel and operations.

Al-Sudani stressed that ISIS no longer poses a significant threat inside Iraq but emphasized Iraq’s goal of balancing ties with the U.S. and Iran while avoiding regional conflicts. “We put Iraq first, and we do not wish to act as a proxy for anyone,” he said.

The prime minister also urged the U.S. to return to direct negotiations with Iran, calling the previous “maximum pressure” approach counterproductive.

Regarding Iran-backed militias, Al-Sudani said his government’s plan focuses on disarmament and national dialogue to eliminate reasons for carrying weapons, encouraging armed factions to integrate into state institutions or transition into political parties ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections, which will shape his potential second term.