Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that a small number of US military advisers will remain in Iraq to assist in combating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Despite an agreement for a full US withdrawal by September, ongoing developments in Syria necessitated the presence of 250-350 advisers at the Ain al-Asad air base. Al-Sudani emphasized Iraq's desire to maintain a balanced relationship with both the US and Iran, urging for negotiations with Iran and advocating for disarmament and political integration of armed factions ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.