Iraq’s National Security Council condemned joint Saudi-US airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces on July 29, 2026. The raids killed at least 20 militia members and prompted Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to cancel his first official trip to Saudi Arabia amid escalating regional tensions.
The Middle East plunged deeper into volatile and unpredictable territory following overnight airstrikes conducted jointly by the United States and Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed groups across seven Iraqi provinces, as Al Jazeera reported. The operation struck bases belonging to the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a coalition also known as al-Hashd al-Shaabi, killing at least 20 of its members alongside four advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In response to the bloodshed, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an emergency session of the Ministerial Council for National Security.
Baghdad Condemns Operation as Prime Minister Cancels Riyadh Trip
The Iraqi presidency and security officials did not mince words regarding the coalition assault. Al Jazeera noted that the National Security Council branded the attacks a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands
. Prime Minister al-Zaidi immediately scrapped his scheduled Thursday diplomatic visit to Jeddah, where he was due to meet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his first official trip since taking office.
Baghdad also pushed back sharply against allegations that the targeted groups had launched cross-border projectiles from Iraqi soil. Al Jazeera reported that an armed forces spokesperson demanded concrete proof from Riyadh and Washington, stating that no party had provided evidence supporting claims that attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure originated in Iraq.
Riyadh and Washington Point to Drone Strikes on Petroleum Facilities
The joint operation followed a concentrated wave of aerial assaults targeting regional energy installations and military outposts. The Saudi Ministry of Defence stated that its air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions… launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-aligned terrorist militias
.
United States Central Command echoed those justifications, maintaining that American and Saudi forces executed precision strikes against logistics infrastructure following more than 30 drone attacks directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against US forces and Saudi energy sites over a 72-hour window.
US Central Command stated that the operation targeted logistics and weapons sites in response to the drone attacks.
While Saudi Arabia has historically maintained a more reserved posture in the broader confrontation with Tehran—primarily offering logistical airspace support rather than full operational engagement—its overt participation marks a distinct turning point in the conflict, The Guardian observed. Analysts interviewed by the outlet warned that Riyadh publicly joining the United States in direct strikes removes any remaining plausible deniability and pushes an already fractured region into uncharted territory.
Militia Threats Mount as Regional Blockades Tighten Energy Flows
The fallout from the strikes quickly reverberated across domestic politics and neighboring shipping lanes. Kataib Hezbollah issued a stark ultimatum, giving the Iraqi government until August 6 to prove its ability to defend national sovereignty while declaring that an immediate counter-response to the US-Saudi aggression is inevitable. Street demonstrations erupted in Baghdad, with paramilitary supporters rallying to demand the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador.
The military escalation coincides with severe maritime disruptions. Middle East Eye detailed how Yemen’s Houthi movement enforced a partial blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait targeting Saudi vessels following an earlier Saudi strike on Sanaa airport. Combined with Tehran’s ongoing stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, the dual blockades have severely compounded export woes for Iraq and regional energy markets.
