Iraqi media outlets reported early Wednesday that headquarters and facilities belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in three Iraqi provinces were targeted by airstrikes carried out by U.S. forces in coordination with the Saudi Armed Forces, marking a new security escalation amid rising regional tensions and reciprocal attacks between Iran-backed militias and U.S. forces.
According to these reports, the strikes targeted the PMF Operations Command in Basra Governorate, while additional airstrikes hit sites in Wasit and Karbala governorates, including weapons depots and facilities used for logistical support.
Iraqi authorities have not yet issued any official comment regarding these attacks, despite the U.S. Central Command announcing details of the operation and its objectives. Meanwhile, the Iraqi public is awaiting Baghdad’s response to the latest developments and their implications for the country’s security situation.
Washington: Strikes were a response to repeated attacks targeting our forces and Saudi facilities
For its part, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. forces, in cooperation with the Saudi Armed Forces, carried out what it described as “precision strikes” targeting sites it claimed belonged to “Iran-backed terrorists” inside Iraqi territory. The operation was described as a response to a series of drone attacks targeting U.S. forces and Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.
CENTCOM said in a statement that the strikes were carried out on July 28 and targeted logistical sites and weapons depots used by groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), asserting that these groups had received instructions to attack U.S. forces and Saudi oil facilities.
The statement added that U.S. and Saudi fighter jets participated in the operation, describing it as a “strong response” to more than 30 drone attacks that Washington said were carried out by the IRGC over the previous 72 hours.
CENTCOM also stated that the attacks targeting U.S. forces had failed to achieve their objectives, noting that its forces successfully thwarted those attempts. It further claimed that the period between February and April 2026 witnessed more than 600 attempted attacks targeting U.S. personnel and facilities, all of which it attributed to Iran-backed militias operating inside Iraq.
Saudi Arabia: The strikes were legitimate self-defense… and a warning to Baghdad over the use of its territory
In the same context, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced that the Saudi Armed Forces, in coordination with U.S. Central Command, carried out what it described as “targeted precision strikes” against militia positions inside Iraq that it said were responsible for attacks on the Kingdom’s oil facilities.
The ministry stressed that the operation was conducted as part of Saudi Arabia’s legitimate right to defend its security and national assets, emphasizing that Riyadh does not seek escalation but will respond to any attack against it at the appropriate time and place.
It explained that the strikes came after Iran-backed militias continued launching drones toward oil facilities in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, just one day after Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a similar attack.
The Saudi Council of Ministers also emphasized that the Kingdom would not tolerate threats to its national security or vital interests, reaffirming its commitment to responding firmly to hostile acts in accordance with international humanitarian law and the principle of proportionality.
The Council further called on the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a launchpad for attacks against Saudi Arabia, while expressing appreciation for the positions of the international community and organizations that condemned the attacks against the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated in a statement issued on Tuesday its strong condemnation of the continued drone attacks launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq against oil facilities in the Eastern Province. The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s legal right to take all necessary measures to respond to the sources of aggression and deter those responsible, while once again urging the Iraqi government to prevent its territory from being used to launch attacks that threaten the security of neighboring countries.
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Author: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi
Publication Date: July 29, 2026
Last Updated: July 2026
