Saudi joins US strikes in Iraq, 20 killed
Iraqi security and emergency personnel work at the site of an attack in Muqdadiyah, Diyala Province. Photo: Collected
Amid growing fears that the conflict in the Middle East could spread further, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out joint strikes on Iran backed armed groups in Iraq. At least 20 people have been confirmed dead.
The US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said the strikes targeted the ‘Iran backed terrorists’ whom Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, had directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
The Iran backed Shiite militia led Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, Iraq’s paramilitary force, said at least 20 of its members were killed in the US and Saudi strikes on its bases.
A few hours earlier, CENTCOM said Iran had launched missiles in an ‘attempted surprise attack’ targeting US forces in the Middle East. The incident marked the end of a temporary pause in the conflict.
The United States said the attack took place at 5:45 pm local time Tuesday. It said all missiles were ‘successfully intercepted.’
The IRGC said missiles had been launched at a US air base and a command center in Jordan ‘in response to the aggression of the American child killing forces.’
The IRGC also said it had attacked three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the group, the vessels were traveling through an ‘unsafe and illegal route’ in the strategically important Gulf waterway after they had ‘ignored warnings.’
CENTCOM said US and Saudi warplanes struck ‘multiple terrorist logistics and weapons facilities’ in eastern Iraq in response to more than 30 drone attacks directed by the IRGC over the past 72 hours. CENTCOM described the drone attacks as ‘unprovoked’ and said they had failed.
In a statement, CENTCOM said, “The IRGC and its terrorist proxy groups must stop these attacks or the United States will take further military action.”
On Wednesday morning, the PMF said US and Saudi strikes on several of its bases in Iraq killed at least 20 fighters and wounded 32 others. It described the attack as a ‘dangerous escalation’ and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
The PMF is a coalition of mainly Shiite Muslim militias that is officially affiliated with Iraq’s armed forces. Some of its groups are backed by Iran and are part of the proxy network used to advance Tehran’s interests across the Middle East.
These militias have repeatedly attacked US troops and interests inside Iraqi territory. The attacks are widely believed to be aimed at increasing pressure to remove the remaining US troops from Iraq. In response, the United States has regularly carried out strikes against these groups.
Reuters reported that an Iranian defense official, quoted by Iran’s state television, denied any Iranian involvement in the drone attack on Saudi Arabia. The official said blaming Iran for attacks on US interests in the region was ‘a major miscalculation.’
Earlier Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed drones targeting oil facilities in the country’s eastern region. Saudi Defense Ministry Spokesperson Major General Turki Al Maliki alleged that Iraqi militias linked to Iran had launched the drones.
The renewed conflict began about 24 hours after the third consecutive day without any attacks between Iran and the United States. Before that, the United States carried out bombing raids on Iran for 13 consecutive nights. Washington claimed the strikes destroyed tunnels and bridges in southern Iran.
Access to and control of the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the main obstacles in ongoing discussions. Tehran, however, has denied that any such discussions are taking place.
Oil prices rose Wednesday morning amid concerns that a further escalation in the conflict could disrupt energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
