Saudi Arabia joins US in strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq

US and Saudi Forces Strike Iraqi Militia Positions After Drone Incidents

US Central Command and Saudi Arabian forces conducted airstrikes on multiple sites in Iraq on Wednesday, targeting locations associated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces. Centcom stated the strikes responded to more than 30 drone attacks over the preceding 72 hours that it attributed to groups directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Saudi officials separately said drones launched from Iraqi territory had struck oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh region on Monday and Tuesday.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organisation of predominantly Shia militias integrated into Iraq’s armed forces since 2016, reported that at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded across strikes on bases in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala provinces. An official cited by AFP described the deadliest incidents as occurring in Nineveh and Diyala. The PMF statement condemned the strikes as violations of Iraqi sovereignty against its official security institutions.

Centcom said US and Saudi aircraft hit logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq. A Saudi defence ministry spokesman, Maj-Gen Turki al-Maliki, said the kingdom acted under its right to self-defence and would respond to any further aggression while stating it did not seek escalation. Centcom added that the drone attacks had failed and warned that continued strikes by the IRGC and associated groups would prompt further US action.

Hours earlier, Centcom reported that Iran had launched missiles toward US forces in the region at 17:45 EDT on Tuesday. All missiles were intercepted, according to the command. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated the missiles targeted a US air base and command centre in Jordan in response to prior US actions. It also said naval forces had struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels continued on a route the IRGC described as unsafe and illegal.

An Iranian defence official quoted by state media denied any Iranian role in the drone attacks on Saudi facilities and described attribution of such incidents to Iran as a miscalculation, according to Reuters. The exchanges occurred two days after President Donald Trump referred to ongoing discussions concerning the Strait of Hormuz. The two sides had not exchanged strikes for three days prior to Tuesday’s reported missile launch.

The broader conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran began at the end of February 2026. The United States conducted 13 consecutive nights of strikes on Iranian weapons and military sites, stating the objective was to reduce Iran’s capacity to target commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US military assets in Jordan and Iraq, resulting in four US service members killed. Access to the strait has remained a central issue in subsequent communications between the parties.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday amid concerns over potential further disruption to shipments. Brent crude increased 4.3 percent to $87.70 per barrel in early Asian trading, while US-traded crude rose 4.2 percent to $82.62. The strait has been effectively closed to most traffic since the end of February.

The strikes took place during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he met President Trump and attended the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. Pentagon data indicate that at least 624 US military personnel have been wounded since February, with 417 of those injuries linked to Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli operation against Iranian targets.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces have conducted attacks on US personnel and facilities in Iraq on multiple occasions since the February escalation, seeking the withdrawal of remaining US troops. The United States has conducted retaliatory strikes on associated militia positions during the same period.