November 4, 2025
Release Number 20251104-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. – A U.S.-led combined joint task force validated Iraqi Security Forces’ (ISF) capacity to independently manage their combat strike process Oct. 27, marking a major milestone in Iraq’s transition to assuming a leading role in regional operations.
Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) validated the ISF’s certification of their strike capabilities during a capstone live-fire exercise in Iraq. ISF personnel successfully completed the targeting cycle under adverse, real-world conditions, demonstrating targeting proficiency without support from U.S. or Coalition personnel.
“This achievement demonstrates the ISF’s readiness to independently suppress ISIS threats anywhere in Iraq,” said Brig. Gen. Steven T. Rivera, the Military Advisory Group director for CJTF-OIR. “It is a clear example of our successful partnership with Iraq as we transition to a bilateral security partnership.”
Established in 2014, CJTF-OIR’s mandate is to advise, assist, and enable partner forces in the fight to defeat ISIS.
“ISIS’s conventional threat has been degraded and its fighters are dispersed,” said Rivera. “Iraqi counterterrorism forces have also expanded their capacity, expertise, and equipment to become markedly more capable.”