Iraq and the United States have agreed on a phased pullout of the US-led anti-militant coalition but have yet to sign a final agreement, the Iraqi defence minister has said.

The pullout is “two-phased” and “maybe we will sign the agreement within the next few days”, Abbassi said. He added that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had said in a meeting that “two years were not enough” to carry out the withdrawal.

“We refused his proposal regarding an (extra) third year,” Abbassi said.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza since early October has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East. US forces have carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against these groups in both countries.