Iraq Condemns US-Saudi Airstrikes on Hashed al-Shaabi Bases as Sovereignty Violation

Saudi Arabia and the United States conducted joint airstrikes on militant bases in Iraq targeting Iran-aligned groups after a series of drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, with the Iraq strikes drawing immediate condemnation from Baghdad as a violation of sovereignty. [2] The operations followed two days of reported drone attacks on Saudi crude facilities that Riyadh attributed to Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran. [2]

Joint US-Saudi Strikes Target Iran-Aligned Militias in Iraq

The joint US-Saudi air operation targeted logistics and weapons sites belonging to an Iran-aligned group in Iraq. [2] According to Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, the attacks killed at least 20 of its members across seven provinces, including Baghdad. [2] The Hashed al-Shaabi alliance denounced a "dangerous escalation" against an "official security institution". [2] The Iraqi presidency, without naming the US and Saudi Arabia, denounced the strikes on the Hashed al-Shaabi as "an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty". [2] The Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, was created in 2014 to fight jihadists before it was formally integrated into the armed forces. [2] It includes brigades belonging to Iran-backed groups reputed for acting unilaterally. [2] The US military said logistics and weapons sites belonging to an Iran-aligned group were targeted in the strikes. [2] A Saudi security analyst and researcher, Hesham Alghannam, told AFP that Tehran is now using its proxy network to sustain leverage while the diplomatic track absorbs international attention. [2] The proxy war is the continuation of the direct war by other means, and it is being run with considerable strategic coherence, according to Alghannam. [2] The strikes follow growing US pressure on Iraq to disarm pro-Iran groups there. [2]

Trump Vows Strong Response to Iran

President Donald Trump vowed to hit back hard at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, as the Middle East war reignited. [2] Trump said the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government. [4] "We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating," Fox News's correspondent quoted Trump as saying, adding that the US president used swear words to emphasise his point: "We are going to beat the 'effing s' out of them." [2] Trump says US will be hitting Iran ‘hard,’ but will ‘let them keep talking’. [4] The warning came after a short lull in the fighting that had spurred hopes of a return to negotiations appeared to draw to an end, sending oil prices jumping 5 per cent over fears of disruptions to global supplies. [2] On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq. [2]

US and Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-aligned Hashed al-Shaabi bases in Iraq. — Source: channelnewsasia

Iraqi Premier Postpones Saudi Visit After Strikes

Iraqi premier postpones Saudi visit following US-Saudi airstrikes. [3] Delay comes after Ali al-Zaidi convenes emergency National Security Council meeting following overnight US-Saudi strikes targeting Iran-backed groups in Iraq. [3] Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency National Security Council meeting and postponed a planned visit to Saudi Arabia. [3]

Iranian Missile Attack and Reported US Strike

Iran launched missiles at US bases in Jordan that were intercepted. [2] Jordan's army said it had intercepted five Iranian missiles, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards saying they had targeted US bases there. [2] "As long as the threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran continue ... the resistance will continue," the Revolutionary Guards added. [2] Iranian state television reported a US strike in its territory. [2] "A few minutes ago, an area in the Piranshahr border area was attacked by American enemy airstrikes," it said, after the Fars news agency quoted an official in West Azerbaijan province as saying a missile hit an uninhabited area, leaving no casualties. [2]

Background on Proxy Attacks and Lull in Fighting

For two days, the world's biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia has reported drone attacks targeting crude facilities that it blamed on Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran. [2] The US had said the days-long cessation in fighting was aimed at kickstarting a new round of negotiations, including over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded throughout much of the Middle East war. [2] The Revolutionary Guards said that they had attacked and stopped three tankers in the strait, insisting Iran has "full control" of the waterway. [2] The operations ended a short lull in fighting that had raised hopes for renewed negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices up 5 percent. [2] The US military said logistics and weapons sites belonging to an Iran-aligned group were targeted in the strikes. [2] According to CENTCOM, US and Saudi Arabia warplanes struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons facilities in eastern Iraq in response to more than 30 drone attacks directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards over the past 72 hours. [5] The US had said the days-long cessation in fighting was aimed at kickstarting a new round of negotiations. [2]

Regional Reactions and Diplomatic Moves

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry confirmed the strikes on X, stating the Kingdom is not seeking escalation but will respond to any attack it faces. [5] Iraq's armed groups rejected claims of involvement in the drone attacks. [5] The Iraqi Islamic Resistance, an umbrella of Iran-backed armed groups, called Saudi Arabia's claims "baseless" and suggested the Monday attacks could have been carried out by the Houthis. [5] The latest developments came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visited Washington to meet with Trump as the pair seek to patch over public disagreements on the war. [2] Both sides described the meeting as positive, with Netanyahu saying it touched on "our common goal: ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons". [2]

What to watch next: The Revolutionary Guards have said that as long as threats against Iran continue the resistance will continue, while the US has warned that additional military steps could be taken if new attacks occur against American forces or Saudi energy infrastructure.