The Trump administration is planning to end military assistance to the Peshmerga (the armed forces of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region), with the memorandum of understanding governing security support set to expire on 30 September, four sources familiar with the matter told the BBC. The Peshmerga, a force of roughly 180,000 troops that was instrumental in defeating the Islamic State alongside US-led coalition forces, currently receives $61 million annually in weapons, training, and stipends through the Pentagon's counter-IS programme. Kurdish officials warn the move would leave the region dangerously exposed to Iran, which has carried out at least 158 missile and drone strikes inside Iraqi Kurdistan since the US-Iran war began, and analysts caution it risks emboldening Tehran while signalling to regional allies that Washington cannot be relied upon to stand by its partners.