Full Breakdown
U.S. Plans to End Military Aid to Iraq’s Kurdish Peshmerga
8/31/2026, 5:48:28 AM
Planned End of U.S. Peshmerga Aid
U.S. Defense Department officials have told leaders of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region that the Trump administration will not renew the memorandum of understanding that funds the Peshmerga security force. The agreement is set to expire on September 30. The decision follows a request to Congress to eliminate the FY 2027 budget request for the program, which had provided $61 million in FY 2026 for weapons, training and pay. The cut is being coordinated with the broader withdrawal of U.S. troops, slated for October 1, when the last U.S. base in Irbil is expected to close.
Background of U.S.–Kurdish Security Cooperation
The United States first signed a security assistance pact with the Kurdish Regional Government in 2016 and renewed it in 2022. The Peshmerga fought alongside coalition forces to defeat the Islamic State (IS) and have been a cornerstone of U.S. strategy in Iraq. Since President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran, Iranian-backed militias have carried out hundreds of missile and drone attacks inside Iraqi Kurdistan, intensifying security concerns for the Kurdish forces.
Data & Statistics
- FY 2026 aid: $61 million for the Peshmerga under the counter-IS program.
- Iranian-backed attacks: 158 missile or drone strikes inside Iraqi Kurdistan reported by late May.
- Peshmerga strength: approximately 180,000 troops.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s money well spent, as we found out when the Islamic State rolled into northern Iraq,” — James Jeffrey — James Jeffrey, former coalition leader, said the assistance was
