Iraq's National Security Council has strongly condemned the Saudi Arabia and US joint air strikes against the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, which killed at least 20 PMF members and four advisers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, described the attacks on PMF bases across seven Iraqi provinces as "a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands" and "an aggression in contravention of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter." In protest, al-Zaidi canceled his first official trip to Saudi Arabia.

The statement emphasized that "any transgression or compromise of Iraq’s security and sovereignty will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Saudi Arabia and US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated the strikes targeted Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq responsible for attacks on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. The Saudi Ministry of Defence said the strikes were in response to recent drone attacks and that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned militias targeting petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh.

However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella coalition of Iran-backed groups, denied involvement in the attacks on Saudi Arabia, calling the claims "fabrications" and warning that "any foolish Saudi action will be met with a harsh response."

In addition, the Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement giving the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate its ability to defend Iraq’s sovereignty.

Sources