US weighs ending security aid to Iraqi Kurdistan's Peshmerga as troop pullout looms
The Trump-era plan to let the memorandum providing security aid to the Peshmerga expire and not be renewed is moving forward, even as US troops withdraw from Iraq. Kurdish officials warn that ending the funding could create a power vacuum and boost Iranian influence, undermining a longtime US ally in the fight against ISIS. While the Pentagon has signaled a broader security role could be maintained in some form, the core aid for the Peshmerga is at risk as negotiations continue on a possible defence pact and post-withdrawal security arrangements.