(The Center Square) – The U.S. is signaling a significant shift in the Middle East as President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with the Iraqi prime minister to announce the end of military operations in Iraq, while shifting focus to Iran.
Shortly after Trump and Hegseth held meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House and the Pentagon, U.S. Central Command announced the sixth round of military strikes against Iran within a week began Tuesday afternoon.
The latest round is a continuation of “degrading Iranian capabilities” for aggressions in the Strait of Hormuz after the Islamic Republic continues to target commercial shipping vessels transiting the waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM added that the strikes are taking place in the lead-up to the U.S. reinstating a full naval blockade on Iranian ports.
As the U.S. begins to ramp up strikes against the Islamic Republic, the president and secretary of war announced the conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq to cease Sept. 30, bringing an end to military operations in Iraq. OIR began in 2014 to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
During a meeting at the Pentagon between Hegseth and al-Zaidi, the secretary touted the success of the operation while commenting that it was time for the U.S. to shift its focus to Iran and its terror proxies in the region.
With the cessation of OIR, Iraqi Security Forces will assume the responsibility to fight terrorists in Iraq. The president and Hegseth underscored the hundreds of attacks carried out against American forces over the years, led by Iranian “aligned” terror groups, as well as the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
American taxpayers have spent billions supporting OIR, with the most recent figures reporting approximately $11.5 billion enacted for FY 2024 and 2025, and $9.5 billion having been “obligated” as of Nov. 30, 2025, according to a Lead Inspector General report delivered to Congress on the operation.
Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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