Saudi Arabia, US Strike Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq
Riyadh says it carried out coordinated strikes with the US military against Iran-backed groups in Iraq, marking the first publicly disclosed Saudi participation in the current strike cycle.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Riyadh said, according to Al Jazeera. Riyadh characterized the attacks as targeted and said they were conducted in coordination with the US military — the first publicly disclosed Saudi participation in a joint kinetic strike on Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq in the current cycle.
What we know
Al Jazeera, citing Riyadh, reported that the Saudi statement described the strikes as targeted attacks on Iran-backed groups inside Iraq and confirmed coordination with the US military. The disclosure lands the same night US Central Command said Iran fired a “surprise” salvo of ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East, per Al Jazeera’s live coverage.
Saudi Arabia also intercepted additional drones overnight, Al Jazeera reported, as Iran warned it would take “any action” needed to maintain its position on the Strait of Hormuz.
What we don’t know
Riyadh has not publicly named the specific Iran-aligned militia or units struck, the locations inside Iraq, the munitions used, or whether the strikes produced casualties. The Iraqi government has not, as of this filing, publicly responded to a foreign military strike carried out on its territory. CENTCOM has not issued a separate confirmation of the Saudi coordination claim. This story is developing.
Context
Saudi Arabia’s disclosed entry into a joint strike role marks a significant widening of the coalition against Iranian-aligned forces in Iraq. Iran-backed factions in Iraq killed a US service member in an Iranian-munition strike earlier this month, and the Pentagon later identified Sgt. Swinton as killed by an Iranian drone in Iraq. A US base in northern Iraq was hit by a drone attack last week, and drones struck Iranian Kurdish opposition bases in Iraqi Kurdistan yesterday.
Riyadh’s willingness to acknowledge the strikes publicly is a departure from prior Saudi practice of quiet coordination. The GCC calculus shifted after Iranian-linked strikes hit Saudi territory, and Houthis last night claimed to have forced back a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea.
What to watch
- Whether Baghdad publicly responds to Saudi and US strikes carried out on Iraqi soil, and whether the Iraqi PM’s Washington oil-and-gas track survives the political fallout.
- Whether CENTCOM confirms the Saudi coordination and specifies the militia units targeted.
- Whether Iran responds directly to Saudi participation, given tonight’s Iranian ballistic missile salvo on a US base in Jordan.
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