Iraqi armed groups condemn ‘dangerous escalation’ after US-Saudi strikes
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- Joint US-Saudi air strikes targeted Iran-backed militia sites across Iraq on Wednesday, killing eight members of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and wounding four others, according to the PMF.
- Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said the strikes responded to drone attacks on petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh, claiming Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed drones launched from Iraqi territory by "Iran-aligned terrorist militias."
- Iraq's PMF condemned the attacks as a "highly dangerous escalation" and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the country's official security institutions.
- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a separate Iran-backed armed group, denied any role in attacks on Saudi Arabia, dismissed Saudi claims as "fabrications," and warned any "foolish Saudi action" would be met with a "harsh response."
- US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Saudi Arabia confirmed the strikes were coordinated and targeted militias responsible for attacks on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure.
- Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered Iraqi security agencies to investigate the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
- The PMF is legally part of Iraq's security forces and reports directly to the prime minister, though previous Iraqi governments have failed to rein in these armed groups' attacks on US bases and the US embassy in Baghdad.
Why it matters: The strikes formalize a US-Saudi joint military posture against Iran-backed Iraqi militias, directly hitting forces that report to Iraq's prime minister — who is set to visit Riyadh Thursday. PMF's condemnation as a sovereignty violation deepens Baghdad's domestic political crisis: the government now faces pressure to rein in groups it legally commands, absorb the cost of doing nothing, or side with them against a coordinated US-Saudi operation.
