Middle East crisis deepens as US, Saudi forces strike ‘Iran-backed’ groups in Iraq

Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said Wednesday that at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded in overnight United States-Saudi airstrikes targeting the group’s headquarters in several provinces across the country.

In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the PMF said the strikes hit its facilities in the provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala, causing extensive damage to its headquarters, military vehicles and equipment.

It said specialised committees are continuing field assessments to determine the full extent of the damage.

“These attacks resulted in the martyrdom of a number of personnel and injuries to others, as well as material damage to several buildings and properties,” said the PMF, known as the Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic, in a statement.

Meanwhile, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said US and Saudi forces carried out joint precision strikes against Iranian-aligned groups in Iraq, claiming the operation targeted sites linked to attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

According to CENTCOM, US and Saudi fighter jets struck multiple logistics and weapons facilities in eastern Iraq in response to more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the previous 72 hours.

The PMF, a predominantly Iranian-backed coalition of Shiite armed groups, said several of its headquarters were hit in the strikes, resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage.

The PMF is an alliance of paramilitaries and factions created in 2014 to fight jihadists, and is now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces. Iran-backed groups have brigades that operate within the alliance, but many of these groups have a reputation for acting on their own.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PMF described the US-Saudi strikes as a “dangerous escalation, a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and an attack on its official security institutions”.

The US-Saudi strikes came after Riyadh said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the east, blaming Iran-backed groups in Iraq. But these groups described Saudi Arabia’s accusations as “fabrications”, and warned it against attacking Iraq.

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The most active pro-Iran armed groups are united under an alliance known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has interfered in support of Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming hundreds of attacks against US bases in Iraq and across the region. But they have not claimed any attacks since hostilities between the US and Iran resumed earlier this month.

Washington and Tehran are Iraq’s main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes.

Amid growing US pressure, Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who came to power this year with Washington’s blessing, vowed to ensure pro-Iran armed groups would hand over their weapons, but has faced pushback from some powerful factions.

Earlier this month, Zaidi visited both the US and Iran.

Iraqi premier orders emergency security meeting after strikes

Al-Zaidi ordered an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security following the Saudi-US airstrikes, the Security Media Cell said.

In a statement, the Security Media Cell said al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, instructed the council to convene urgently in response to “security developments and the aerial bombardment the country was subjected to at dawn today.”

It said a detailed statement outlining the developments and decisions taken during the meeting would be issued afterward.

Riyadh warns of further strikes

Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if Iran-backed groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the strikes, conducted by the Saudi Armed Forces in coordination with the US CENTCOM, targeted “specific” sites in Iraq linked to attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities.

The ministry said the operation was carried out under the right of self-defence guaranteed by international law in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

It accused Iranian-backed groups in Iraq of adopting “an irresponsible escalatory approach” despite Saudi efforts to help reduce regional tensions and preserve regional security and stability.

The ministry said the groups had violated international law and ignored the principles of good neighbourliness and Islamic brotherhood.

While reiterating that the kingdom does not seek escalation, the ministry warned that if further attacks occur, Saudi Arabia “will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to preserve the Kingdom’s sovereignty and protect its citizens and assets.”

In a separate statement, the Defence Ministry said the joint operation with the US was launched in response to attacks originating from Iraqi territory against Saudi petroleum facilities.

Citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, the ministry said Saudi Arabia and the US carried out “precise and targeted strikes” against sites in Iraq linked to the attacks on the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.

“The Kingdom emphasises that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces,” the ministry added.

GCC condemns attacks on Riyadh by ‘Iran-aligned militias in Iraq’

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the “continued terrorist attacks” on Saudi Arabia by “Iran-aligned militias in Iraq.”

In a statement, AlBudaiwi noted, “these hostile acts represent a dangerous escalation, a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty, and a direct threat to its security and stability, as well as to regional peace and security.”

He also “underscored that the GCC states stand as one alongside the Kingdom, fully supporting all measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

AlBudaiwi stressed, “The continuation of these terrorist assaults constitutes a direct threat to regional peace and security, undermining international efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and consolidating security and stability.”

Kuwait denounces attacks, reaffirms solidarity with Saudi Arabia

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry strongly denounced “the continued attacks by Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq against the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The attacks, according to the statement issued by the ministry in a post on X, reflected “the determination of those militias to persist in escalation and undermine the security and stability of the region.”

“The latest such incident was the brazen aggression involving the launch of drones in a desperate attempt to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province, constituting a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and a threat to its security and the safety of its territories,” the statement added. It noted that “this comes at a time when the Kingdom is exerting sincere efforts to contribute to ending the escalation in the region.”

The ministry reaffirmed Kuwait’s “absolute solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its standing by its side, and its support for all measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, interests, and capabilities, including its inherent right to self-defence.”

“It affirms that the security of the Kingdom is an indivisible part of the security of the State of Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council states,” the statement concluded.

In an earlier post by the ministry on X, it noted that Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah held a telephonic conversation with the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud.

According to the ministry, the officials “discussed the latest regional developments, diplomatic efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in the region, and ensuring the safety and freedom of maritime navigation.”

Bahrain condemns ‘repeated terrorist attempts’

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry also condemned what it termed “repeated terrorist attempts” to target petroleum facilities in Saudi Arabia “with drones launched once again from Iraq.”

In a statement, the ministry described the attacks as “dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and stability, constitutes a flagrant violation of the principles of good-neighbourliness and international law, defies United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, and undermines ongoing efforts to reduce tensions in the region.”

It reaffirmed its solidarity with Riyadh “and its unwavering support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and stability, including its right to respond to the sources of aggression and deter those responsible, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and the GCC Joint Defence Agreement.”

The ministry also affirmed its support for any response deemed appropriate by Saudi Arabia.