Is the waiting period (iddah) obligatory if the woman is the one who requested the khul?

Khul' is initiated by the wife's request and the husband's consent. Every woman who separates from her husband must observe an 'iddah (waiting period), unless the separation occurs before consummation. The 'iddah for a woman who has undergone khul' is one menstrual period. This is the view of Uthman ibn Affan, Abdullah ibn Umar, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, Imam Ahmad, and Ibn Taymiyyah, because there is no right of return for the husband, and the purpose is to ensure the clearing of the womb. Khul' is not a divorce (talaq) because it differs from talaq in three rulings: the husband does not have the right of return, it is not counted as one of the three divorces, and its 'iddah is one menstrual period.