Saudi Arabia Joins the Fray: US-Led Coalition Launches Coordinated Airstrikes on 7 Iraqi Provinces

Middle East tensions continue to escalate as the US Central Command announced on the 28th (Tuesday) that US and Saudi Arabian forces conducted coordinated attacks on Iran-backed militant groups and associated facilities inside Iraq.

The US Central Command stated that fighter jets from the United States and Saudi Arabia struck multiple logistical and weapons facilities in eastern Iraq belonging to 'terrorist' groups.

The command warned that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxy 'terrorist' agents must cease attacks, or face further military responses from US forces.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense also confirmed its participation, stating that airstrikes targeted militia groups in Iraq linked to recent attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

On the 29th, the Iraqi Shiite militia group 'Popular Mobilization Forces' (PMF) issued a statement confirming that its bases across multiple regions of Iraq were attacked early that morning by US and Saudi forces, resulting in at least 20 deaths and 32 injuries.

The statement indicated that initial reports show the strikes targeted PMF headquarters in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala provinces, causing varying degrees of damage to facilities, vehicles, and military equipment.

The PMF condemned the attacks as a dangerous escalation, targeting official Iraqi security institutions and constituting a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

PMF members speaking to AFP said the airstrikes hit their strongholds across several provinces, with the worst damage occurring in Nineveh province, where at least 10 members were killed. Members were also injured in other provinces, and multiple buildings were destroyed, resulting in significant property damage.

According to sources close to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Prime Minister Al-Zaidi has postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for the 30th.