Overview
- Pentagon officials told Kurdish leaders this week that Washington does not plan to renew the four‑year memorandum of understanding signed in 2022, which is due to expire at the end of September.
- U.S. budget projections show a shift away from multi‑million‑dollar counter‑terrorism packages toward limited medical and logistical support, reducing direct financial aid that helped professionalize the Peshmerga.
- Kurdish leaders warn the wind‑down could create defensive gaps in northern Iraq and increase the influence of Iran‑aligned militias that have resisted disarmament and attacked coalition bases.
- Kurdish officials have argued the expiration does not end all cooperation and say training, advice and bilateral ties could continue, while European advisory programs are reassessing their long‑term roles.
- The decision follows years of U.S. post‑ISIS cooperation and comes as the U.S. and coalition prepare to withdraw troops and transfer bases to Iraqi control, raising immediate questions about who will fill the security and funding gap.