Click to see full-size image. (U.S. Central Command)
The United States and Saudi Arabia launched joint strikes in Iraq early on July 29, killing at least 20 people, in response to a wave of drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that Washington and Riyadh blame on Iran-backed armed factions in the country.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it conducted the operation alongside the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, describing the targets as “Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.”
According to the command, American and Saudi fighter jets “struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq” in what it called “a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours.” It claimed that the attacks against U.S. forces were not successful.
CENTCOM noted that from February through April, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq. It further warned that “the IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response.”
Meanwhile, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement that a joint operation with the U.S. was launched in response to attacks originating from Iraqi territory against Saudi oil facilities.
Citing Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, the ministry said Saudi Arabia and the U.S. carried out “precise and targeted strikes” against sites in Iraq linked to the attacks on the kingdom’s infrastructure.
“The Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces,” the ministry added.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also accused Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq of adopting “an irresponsible escalatory approach” despite Saudi efforts to help reduce regional tensions and preserve regional security and stability.
In a statement, the ministry said the factions had violated international law and ignored the principles of good neighborliness and Islamic brotherhood.
For its part, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded overnight in the U.S.-Saudi strikes targeting its headquarters in several provinces across the country.
In a statement carried by the state-run INA news agency, the PMF said the strikes hit its facilities in the provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala, causing extensive damage to its headquarters, military vehicles and equipment. It said specialized committees are continuing field assessments to determine the full extent of the damage.
The strikes followed a drone attack that struck the Abqaiq oil processing plant on July 27 and a further attempt on Eastern Province facilities intercepted by Saudi air defenses on July 28. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran-backed factions in Iraq for the attacks, despite the Houthis in Yemen claiming responsibility for the first one.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition that includes many factions from the government-recognized PMF, dismissed Saudi accusations, warning the kingdom against targeting Iraq.
The deadly U.S.-Saudi strike will lead to a serious escalation. The IRI will certainly respond, and will likely do so by targeting oil facilities in the kingdom, which could spark a confrontation.
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