BAGHDAD, July 29 (Xinhua) — The United States and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated airstrikes on Iraq’s paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) early Wednesday, marking a rare joint military operation that has sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East.
Analysts said the airstrikes signal a significant shift in Washington and Riyadh’s regional security strategy, raising concerns that escalating tensions with Iran and its allied groups could drag the region into a broader conflict.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The strikes targeted multiple PMF headquarters across several Iraqi provinces, including Baghdad, Basra, and Nineveh, leaving at least 20 people dead and 32 others wounded, according to a PMF statement. The PMF is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization comprising dozens of paramilitary factions that were formally integrated into the Iraqi armed forces following a campaign against the extremist Islamic State group. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack, saying that “U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours.” Noting that “Iran-aligned” militias in Iraq had conducted more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities from February through April, the command warned that Iran and its “proxies” must cease such attacks or face further U.S. military response.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier this week that its air defense systems had intercepted several drones originating from Iraqi territory aimed at the kingdom’s major oil facilities. The U.S.-Saudi strikes occurred despite diplomatic efforts by Baghdad. The Iraqi Ministerial Council for National Security condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, saying they took place while “the Iraqi government was actively engaging with the relevant parties to verify and address the concerns raised by both the Saudi and U.S. sides regarding the targeting of Saudi territory.”
WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIC CALCULATIONS?
Analysts believe the rare military coordination between Washington and Riyadh signals a major shift in regional deterrence dynamics rather than merely a response to recent drone attacks. Nadhum Ali, an Iraqi international relations expert, noted that the joint strikes represent “a highly dangerous security escalation” aimed at sending an unequivocal warning to pro-Iranian groups that attacks on vital energy infrastructure will not be tolerated. “Countering Iran-backed militias is one of the most important considerations,” said Mohammed al-Jubouri, a professor of media at the Baghdad-based al-Iraqia University.
The operation also marks a notable pivot in Riyadh’s security posture. Sabah al-Sheikh, a professor of politics at Baghdad University, told Xinhua that the operation signals Saudi Arabia’s transition from a traditionally defensive posture toward a strategy of proactive, cross-border deterrence. “The strikes underscore a deepening U.S.-Saudi security alignment at a time when regional stability is at a tipping point,” al-Sheikh added.
WHAT ARE THE REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS?
The joint operation came against the backdrop of direct, escalating military exchanges between Washington and Tehran across the Middle East, with Iraq once again caught in the crossfire. The Iraqi presidency on Wednesday strongly condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes as an “unacceptable aggression” and a “flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.” Experts warn that the operation could further destabilize Iraq’s precarious domestic equilibrium. “The Iraqi government has been trying to execute a delicate balancing act between competing regional powers,” al-Jubouri said. “These joint strikes risk destroying that neutrality and pulling Iraq deeper into the U.S.-Iran vortex.”
The risk of escalation remains high. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of pro-Iranian factions, denied targeting Saudi facilities and accused the United States of committing “a new crime” by targeting Iraq’s PMF. “Our response to the American enemy is inevitable and may target its agents in Saudi Arabia whenever the situation demands it,” the group warned. Echoing the threat, Iraqi armed group al-Nujaba Movement also vowed revenge, noting that it will never allow the United States and Saudi Arabia to attack Iraqi territory without paying a heavy price.
Ali said PMF factions represent one of “Iran’s closest proxy networks,” making further retaliation highly likely. “The coming days will be critical,” al-Sheikh said. “If Iran opts for multi-front retaliation through its proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, the question is whether Washington and Riyadh are truly prepared for the fallout.”
