Saudi Arabia, US carry out strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq - Al Jazeera

What the report says

Al Jazeera English, citing statements from the parties involved and Reuters reporting, reported that Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded in joint Saudi-US strikes on PMF sites across Iraq. The strikes were announced early Wednesday, July 29, 2026, by Saudi Arabia and US Central Command, which said the targets were Iran-backed armed groups accused of attacks on American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the operation was coordinated with the US military and followed recent drone attacks. Riyadh said its air defences had intercepted drones aimed at petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions, and alleged the drones had been launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned groups. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied involvement and rejected the Saudi accusations.

The PMF called the strikes a serious escalation and a breach of Iraqi sovereignty. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attacks, while the Iraqi presidency rejected strikes inside Iraq and said it opposed Iraqi territory being used either as a launchpad or a battlefield for attacks on neighboring states. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security after the dawn operation.

The development is significant because the PMF occupies a sensitive position in Iraq: it is legally part of the state security structure but includes militias with close ties to Iran. Al Jazeera noted that the groups have long been a source of tension among Baghdad, Washington and regional governments, particularly over attacks on US diplomatic and military sites in Iraq.