Iran’s attempts to “reposition” itself in Iraq have heightened US concerns, Congressman Marlin Stutzman warned on Saturday, citing the country’s existing instability.

Speaking with Shafaq News, Stutzman stressed that Washington does not want Iraq to regress after the “sacrifices” made in the country, calling for bilateral relations to center on economic cooperation and joint development rather than conflict.

On the future of US troops, he described the withdrawal as “a complicated issue” best left to President Donald Trump, who he argued has broader insight into the situation. 

The Global Coalition against ISIS, established in 2014, has already begun scaling back after the group’s 2017 defeat. A US convoy recently departed Ain al-Asad base in Iraq for Syria, with troop levels expected to drop from about 2,000 to fewer than 500 by the end of September 2026.

The Republican lawmaker also highlighted what he described as Trump’s doctrine, rooted as much in strengthening trade and partnership as in military action, arguing that US economic policies, along with security measures, could shape stability across the Middle East.

Earlier this week, Congressman Joe Wilson demanded an end to what he called Iranian control over Iraq—an accusation Tehran consistently denies. Responding to calls for a US withdrawal, Wilson backed the Pentagon’s judgment but underscored that Iraqis should understand “we will not abandon them.”