Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the Pentagon on July 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
The two officials discussed the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve, the military mission that has guided U.S. counter-ISIS efforts in Iraq. They also addressed where bilateral ties between Washington and Baghdad are headed, according to the Defense Department.
Operation Inherent Resolve's end and the coalition's direction were central to the agenda, the department said, alongside broader questions about how the two countries intend to structure their relationship going forward.