Iraq hosts 2,500 US troops and has Iran-backed militias linked to its security forces CAIRO: Iraq said on Thursday that an announcement on the date for an end to the US-led coalition’s mission has been postponed due to the “latest developments,” the foreign ministry said in a statement without elaborating. A rare ally of both the US and Iran, Iraq hosts 2,500 US troops and has Iran-backed militias linked to its security forces. It has witnessed escalating tit-for-tat attacks since the Israel war in Gaza erupted in October.