By January, the number of troops in both these countries will be down to around 2,500. Peace activists have welcomed the decision even as sections of the establishment have resisted it

Protesters, who marched in several cities renewing their demands for an overhaul of Iraq’s political system and an end to corruption, were met with police repression

Militias point to the Iraqi parliament’s resolution which called for the expulsion of foreign troops from Iraq, adding that the US troops are “not welcome in the country”

Protesters claim that despite the months-long protests and change of government, none of their demands have been fulfilled. They warned of a strike from October 25 if their demands were not met

The protests broke out in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah over the weekend after the kidnapping of Sajjad Al-Iraqi, a prominent anti-establishment activist, who was abducted by unidentified men late on Saturday

The US administration of Donald Trump has attempted to portray the move as the fulfilment of one of his central electoral promises before the upcoming presidential elections in the US, scheduled in November

Anti-government protests have resumed intermittently in capital Baghdad and few other Iraqi cities due to regular power outages afflicting ordinary citizens during this time of intense summer 

The protesters are also asking for a political transformation and fresh elections.

The protesters reiterated the demands from when the anti-government agitation began in October 2019. They took place despite the new prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi making conciliatory gestures and promising to address their demands

After months of political uncertainty, Mustafa al-Kadhimi has been confirmed as the new prime minister of Iraq. However, the former intelligence chief is likely to face a number of challenges, including addressing the demands of protesters

Adnan Al-Zurfi presented his proposed government to the Iraqi parliament which will debate and vote on its ratification. However, his nomination has been opposed by major Shia blocks, including the Fateh bloc and the Sairoon alliance

The missiles have been deployed to Ain al-Assad and Erbil bases in Iraq, both of which recently suffered missile and rocket attacks. Iran has condemned the deployment as a bid to increase tensions in west Asia