WASHINGTON–BAGHDAD, July 15. /Dunyo IA/. U.S. President Donald Trump said American troops will completely withdraw from Iraq by September 30 during his first meeting with Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing the Associated Press.

“We don’t think we need the military there anymore,” Donald Trump said, referring to the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The Pentagon later clarified that the withdrawal would be completed under the 2024 agreement ending the U.S. mission against the Islamic State terrorist group. Following the departure of American forces, responsibility for Iraq’s security will rest entirely with its forces trained by the United States.

During the Oval Office meeting, the U.S. president praised the new prime minister of Iraq, describing him as a future influential leader in the region.

“Mark my words, I knew what I was doing. This man is going to be a great leader in the Middle East, beyond Iraq. His influence is going to spread all throughout the Middle East,” he said.

Speaking through an interpreter, Ali al-Zaidi conveyed greetings from the “oldest civilization in the world” and said the main purpose of his visit was to announce a new stage of economic partnership between Iraq and the United States.

According to Iraqi officials, an agreement could be signed in the coming days between Iraq, the U.S. companies Chevron and TI Capital, and Qatar’s UCC to build an oil pipeline linking Basra with Haditha and extending to the Turkish port of Ceyhan and the Syrian port of Baniyas. The pipeline is expected to carry about 2 million barrels of oil per day.

One of the central topics of the talks was Iran’s influence in Iraq. Washington has been pressing Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups operating in the country, some of which launched attacks on U.S. military bases and diplomatic facilities after the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

The Iraqi prime minister said those groups would have “no justification for their existence” after September 30. A U.S. administration official said Washington’s future decisions regarding Baghdad would depend on how successfully Iraq fulfils its commitments.

Earlier, Donald Trump personally backed Ali al-Zaidi’s candidacy for prime minister following months of political deadlock in Iraq, warning that the United States could withdraw its support for the country if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whom Washington considers too closely aligned with Tehran, returned to power.