Saudi Arabia and US conduct joint airstrikes on Iraqi militia bases
Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out coordinated airstrikes against pro‑Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) sites across Iraq, including Basra, Wasit, Diyala, Karbala, Babil, Baghdad and Nineveh. The strikes were presented as a response to recent drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities and were justified by Riyadh as an act of self‑defence under international law. U.S. Central Command confirmed the operation was conducted with Saudi forces and targeted groups it described as “terrorist” and loyal to Iran.
Iraqi officials denounced the attacks as a violation of national sovereignty; the Iraqi presidency issued a condemnation and Prime Minister Ali Al‑Zaei reiterated Iraq’s commitment to disarm the militias. The Islamic Call Party called for accountability, demanding evidence of any attacks launched from Iraqi territory toward Saudi Arabia. The operation marked the first Saudi air campaign inside Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War and comes amid broader regional tension involving the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Entities: Ali Al‑Zaei · Iraq · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) · Popular Mobilisation Forces · Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) · Saudi Arabia · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The targets were organizations linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Popular Mobilisation Forces. (both)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United States warned it will respond to attacks on its forces and installations in the region. (both)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The strikes were carried out in response to drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. (both)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The attacks raise concerns about a broader regional war involving Saudi Arabia, the United States, Iran and Iraq. (both)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al‑Zaei pledged to continue disarming the militias. (both)
- [● 2 SOURCES] U.S. forces are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by 30 September. (both)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Saudi Arabia coordinated with the United States to conduct airstrikes on pro‑Iranian militia bases in Iraq. (both)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Iraqi presidency condemned the Saudi strikes as a violation of national sovereignty. (both)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out joint airstrikes against pro‑Iranian militia bases in Iraq. (both)