Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out air strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, with the action coming amid renewed tensions in the Middle East. US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes targeted groups it described as Iran-aligned. It said the units were directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. Centcom Links Strikes To Drone AttacksCentcom said US and Saudi fighter aircraft hit multiple “terrorist” logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a response to more than 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks over the previous 72 hours. The command said the drone campaign was “unwarranted” and had failed to achieve its aims. It added that the IRGC and its partners must stop the attacks to avoid further US military action. Saudi Defence Ministry spokesman Maj-Gen Turki al-Maliki said drones were launched from Iraqi territory at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern and Riyadh regions on Monday and Tuesday. He said Saudi Arabia, citing its right to self-defence, responded with strikes against specific targets belonging to the militias. He said Saudi Arabia did not seek escalation, but would respond decisively to aggression directed at it. PMF Says Members Killed And WoundedIn a statement on Wednesday morning, Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others were wounded in US-Saudi strikes on a number of its headquarters. The PMF said the strikes hit locations in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala provinces. An AFP official said the strikes in Nineveh, in the north, and in Diyala, in the centre, were the deadliest. The PMF condemned what it called terrorist attacks, describing them as a serious escalation and an infringement of Iraq’s sovereignty, targeting official security institutions. The PMF is an umbrella organisation for mostly Shia militias that has been integrated into Iraq’s armed forces. Centred within it are groups backed by Iran, which are part of a wider network of proxies that Tehran has used to pursue influence across the region for years. Missile Alert After Lull In HostilitiesThe strikes followed hours after Centcom said Iran launched missiles at US forces in the Middle East in an attempted surprise attack, ending a lull in hostilities. Centcom said the Iranian attack occurred at 17:45 EDT (21:45 GMT) on Tuesday, and that all missiles were successfully intercepted. The IRGC said the missiles targeted a US air base and a command centre in Jordan, describing the move as retaliation for acts of aggression by the United States. It also said naval forces struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they ignored warnings and sailed through what it described as an unsafe and illegal route. Iranian officials have previously denied that any talks are under way about the Strait of Hormuz. The dispute remains a key sticking point in discussions between the US and Iran, which have been tense since the end of February, when fighting involving the US and Israel and Iran restarted. Earlier, the renewal of exchanges came two days after President Donald Trump said he was involved in “very friendly negotiations” to resolve the dispute. At that point, the sides had not traded strikes for three consecutive days. The lull followed 13 consecutive nights of bombing by the US, which said it had targeted Iranian weapons and military sites to reduce Iran’s capacity to attack commercial vessels transiting the strait. Scores of people were reported killed in those strikes. Iran then responded by launching missiles and drones at US military assets in neighbouring Arab states, and four US service personnel were killed in Jordan and Iraq. Oil Prices Rise As Netanyahu Meets TrumpOil prices rose in early trading in Asia on Wednesday, reflecting concerns that further escalation could disrupt energy shipments through the strait. Brent crude was up 4.3% to $87.70 a barrel, while US-traded oil rose 4.2% to $82.62. The latest strikes coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he met Trump and attended the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham. Separate Pentagon data said at least 624 US service members had been wounded since Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February. It said 417 of those injuries were linked to Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran. Join the discussion? 29 July 2026
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