The U.S. military on Friday publicly thanked Iraq's police for their Jan. 3 discovery of a land-based cruise missile that a U.S. official said was aimed at American troops in the country.

"The Coalition is appreciative of the efforts of the legitimate security forces in Iraq for their efforts to prevent future attacks," U.S. Central Command said in a post on social media platform X.

The praise came as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced it was forming a committee to prepare to close down the U.S.-led international coalition's mission in the country following a U.S. strike against a militia leader blamed for attacks against U.S. troops.