Saudi Arabia Tensions Prompt Iraqi PM Security Talks With Riyadh Intelligence Chief

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Saudi intelligence chief Khalid al-Humaidan in Saudi Arabia on Friday to discuss regional security coordination following US-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq amid Saudi Arabia tensions. Zaidi stated that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks or activities targeting any other country and reiterated Baghdad's commitment to protecting its sovereignty and preventing regional escalation. [1]

Iraqi PM Meets Saudi Intelligence Chief

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Saudi general intelligence chief Khalid al-Humaidan on Friday to discuss coordination over regional security developments. [1] The prime minister's office said the meeting addressed coordination amid the aftermath of recent strikes. Zaidi received an invitation to visit Riyadh, conveyed by Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan as a message from the Saudi leadership renewing the invitation for the prime minister to visit the Saudi capital. [1] Zaidi was supposed to visit Riyadh in late July, but the trip was cancelled due to the strikes. [1] The meeting occurred as Tehran-backed groups announced they would delay their response to the deadly US-Saudi strikes in Iraq last month. [1]

Context of US-Saudi Strikes

The US-Saudi strikes came after Riyadh said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities, blaming Iran-backed groups in Iraq. [1] The strikes killed 20 militants, including five Iranians, on 29 July. [1] Zaidi's planned late July trip was cancelled due to these strikes. [1] They also followed growing US pressure on Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran armed groups, which targeted US facilities hundreds of times during the Middle East war. [1] Riyadh warned this week of imminent attacks by Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthis. [1]

Militia Response Postponed

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an alliance of Tehran-backed groups, had vowed to retaliate to the US-Saudi strikes. [1] On Friday, it announced that it has decided to postpone the response that was scheduled for today following a call from the head of Badr organisation, Hadi al-Ameri. [1] Ameri, a political figure close to Iran, had pleaded with the groups in a video message not to respond to the attacks, also citing the honourable stances of other political leaders. [1] Zaidi has vowed to ensure those groups would hand over their weapons, but has faced pushback from some powerful factions. [1] Zaidi's government has given those groups until September 30 to disarm. [1]

Iraq's Security Measures

On Thursday, Iraqi authorities said they boosted security measures along the borders and throughout the country. [1] Two security sources told AFP that security measures were put in place to prevent a response to the US-Saudi strikes. [1] His government has long said it rejects the use of its territory to launch attacks on neighbouring countries. [1] Zaidi, who came to power this year with Washington's blessing, reiterated Baghdad's commitment to protecting its sovereignty and preventing regional escalation. [1] Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes. [1]

Saudi Defense Pact with Turkey and Pakistan

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Friday amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the U.S.-Iran war. [2] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. [2] Riyadh is looking to strengthen its security ties against the backdrop of war between the United States and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. [2] The war has emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, both of which have attacked Saudi Arabia, while analysts say Washington is now seen as an increasingly unreliable partner. [2]

Saudi Arabia Tensions and Broader Regional Tensions

The meeting came amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups after Riyadh last month carried out strikes in Iraq with US Central Command that it said targeted groups responsible for attacks on Saudi oil facilities. [1] Riyadh warned this week of imminent attacks by Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthis. [1] The war between the United States and Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. [2] The war has emboldened Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen. [2]

What to watch next: Iraqi authorities have boosted security measures along the borders and throughout the country to prevent a response to the US-Saudi strikes, while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq postponed its planned retaliation following intervention by Hadi al-Ameri.