Iraq's National Security Council on July 29 condemned airstrikes carried out by Saudi Arabia and the United States targeting the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), killing at least 20 members. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, called the action a 'blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity.'
'This is an aggression, a violation of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,' the Council's statement posted on social media platform X read. 'Any infringement or compromise of Iraq's security and sovereignty will not be tolerated under any circumstances.'
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the joint airstrikes targeted Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, accused of carrying out attacks against U.S. soldiers and Saudi energy infrastructure. Saudi's Defense Ministry said the strikes were conducted 'in response to recent drone attacks,' accusing Iran-linked militia groups of launching drones from Iraqi territory targeting oil facilities in the eastern region and the capital Riyadh.
The Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq, an umbrella group of self-described Iran-backed armed factions, rejected the accusations, calling them 'fabrications' and warning that 'any foolish action by Saudi Arabia will face a fierce response.'
The airstrikes spanned a wide area from the northern city of Kirkuk to Basra in southern Iraq, killing at least 20 PMF members and four advisers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to reports from Iranian and Iraqi media.
Prime Minister al-Zaidi had been scheduled for his first official visit to Saudi Arabia on July 30 but canceled it after the attack. Baghdad complained that the 'U.S.-Saudi aggression hindered investigation efforts regarding the accusations of targeting Saudi Arabia.' The spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of Iraq's armed forces told the Iraqi News Agency: 'We requested evidence and proof of missile launches from Iraq, and no party provided any evidence.'
Funerals for the killed PMF members were held in Mosul, with mourners calling for revenge. In the capital Baghdad, PMF supporters protested demanding the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador. The Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement giving the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate its ability to protect sovereignty, while affirming that an immediate response to the U.S.-Saudi attack is 'inevitable.'
