The US Department of Defense / Pentagon / announced that it is continuing with Iraq security cooperation talks that include the role of its forces in the region. Pentagon spokesman, Pat Ryder said in a meeting with journalists today, Tuesday, that security talks between the two countries are continuing through the working group of the US-Iraqi Supreme Military Committee. He added: The ministry intends to share more details about the matter upon the end of the talks, which he said also include "the role of US forces in the region." The US spokesman confirmed that Iraq "plays a very important role" in the region, without further details. There are currently about 2,500 US soldiers in Iraq. Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi had announced a few days ago that Baghdad had reached an agreement with Washington regarding the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq over two years. Al-Abbasi said in an interview with Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath channel last Sunday that "it was agreed to end the mission of the coalition (the in ternational coalition to combat ISIS led by the United States) in two stages." He explained that "the first phase begins this year and continues until 2025, while the second phase ends in 2026." Source: National Iraqi News Agency