Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"A precipitous drawdown in either Afghanistan or Iraq would be a mistake," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Pentagon's force reduction plan.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17  -- The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed that U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq will be reduced to 2,500 level respectively by mid-January 2021.

"By January 15th, 2021, our force size in Afghanistan will be 2,500 troops, our force size in Iraq will also be 2,500 by that same date," said Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller at a Pentagon press briefing.

Miller noted that the forces reposition plan, ordered by President Donald Trump, "is consistent with our established plans and strategic objective."

Currently, there are approximately 4,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and 3,000 troops in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic State, mainly for training and advisory purposes.