US and Saudi Arabia Launch Joint Strikes on Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq as Regional War Widens

The joint strike

US Central Command and the Saudi Armed Forces launched precision airstrikes in the early hours of Wednesday against Iran-aligned terrorist groups in eastern Iraq. The strikes, carried out by US and Saudi fighter jets, destroyed multiple logistics and weapons facilities belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-recognized militia coalition that is closely aligned with Iran. The PMF reported 20 of its members killed and 32 wounded, along with material damage to several buildings and properties. Centcom stated that the operation was a direct retaliation for the IRGC directing more than 30 drone attacks against American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over the preceding 72 hours.

The unjustified attacks against U.S. forces were unsuccessful. The IRGC and its allied terrorist groups must put an end to these attacks to avoid military responses from the United States.

Saudi Arabia's first public entry

This is the first time Saudi Arabia has publicly joined a US military action against Iranian proxies since the war between Washington and Tehran began on 28 February 2026. The Saudi Defence Ministry confirmed the strikes, calling them "surgical and precise" and invoking the kingdom's "inherent right" to self-defence. The Foreign Ministry added that Riyadh was not seeking escalation, describing the operation as a lawful self-defence measure. Previously, Saudi Arabia had intercepted drones bound for its eastern oil facilities but had refrained from overt strikes.

Iran's denials and counter-strike

Following the joint operation, an Iranian military official told state broadcaster IRIB that Tehran "categorically denies any connection with projectiles fired from other countries against targets" in Saudi Arabia. The official termed the US allegations "a grave miscalculation" driven by a lack of regional understanding. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have launched ballistic missiles at a US airbase and command center in Jordan, extending the day's tit-for-tat exchanges. Centcom said all incoming missiles were intercepted and that its forces remained on high alert.

Iraqi response and broader war context

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi ordered an emergency meeting of the Ministerial National Security Council to address the security situation and the morning's airstrikes. The PMF, formed by government decree in 2014 to fight the Islamic State and now legally part of Iraq's security forces, condemned the joint attack as a "terrorist aggression". The escalation comes amid a fragile diplomatic backdrop: the latest round of US bombings on Iran had continued for thirteen consecutive days after a truce broke down in June, and more than 600 attempted attacks by Iran-backed militias on US citizens and installations were recorded in Iraq between February and April 2026 alone.