United States and Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes targeting pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, killing at least 20 fighters affiliated with the Hashed Al Shaabi militia, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The strikes followed a recent missile attack on U.S. military bases in Jordan, escalating tensions in the region amid ongoing conflicts involving Iran and its proxies.
The U.S.-Saudi operation focused on logistics and weapons sites linked to Iran-backed militias in Iraq, in retaliation for attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi oil infrastructure attributed to groups loyal to Iran. The Hashed Al Shaabi alliance, an official armed force created in 2014 and integrated into Iraq’s security structure, includes several brigades closely aligned with Tehran. The militia reported that at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the strikes.
President Donald Trump indicated the military action would be forceful, pledging that the U.S. “will hit Iran hard” following the missile attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan. Despite public Iraqi government condemnation of the strikes as a violation of sovereignty, Trump asserted that the operations were coordinated with Iraqi authorities. The Iraqi presidency issued a statement denouncing the bombing of Hashed Al Shaabi bases, describing it as an unacceptable attack and a breach of Iraq’s territorial integrity, and rejecting the use of Iraqi soil for assaults on neighboring countries.
Iran responded by announcing it had launched ballistic missiles at U.S. military facilities in Jordan. Iranian state media reported that American airstrikes targeted the Piranshahr area near the Iran-Iraq border. Meanwhile, Jordan’s military stated it intercepted five missiles fired from Iran aimed at its territory. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards declared that their missile strikes were in response to ongoing threats against the Islamic Republic and vowed to continue their resistance.
The recent clashes mark a sharp intensification of a conflict that has persisted for months, as Washington pressures Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran factions that have frequently attacked U.S. personnel and installations. Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi, appointed earlier this year with U.S. support, has pledged to disarm these groups, though he faces significant challenges amid resistance from powerful militia factions. Zaidi has also maintained diplomatic engagement with both the United States and Iran in a bid to navigate Iraq’s complex political landscape.
The escalating hostilities underscore the fragile balance in Iraq, where the rivalry between Washington and Tehran continues to play out through allied militias, complicating efforts by Iraqi authorities to assert full sovereignty and stability.