The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq, marking the first known joint military operation between the two countries since the outbreak of war with Iran in February. The strikes, which targeted multiple logistics and weapons sites, aimed to weaken Shia militias affiliated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). According to U.S. military officials, at least 20 militia members and five Iranian advisers were killed.
The joint operation, conducted yesterday, ended a four-day pause in hostilities following a ballistic missile attack by Iran on a U.S. airbase in Jordan. In response, President Donald Trump issued strong statements condemning Iran, describing the militias as “a cancer on the world” and vowing to intensify U.S. military pressure. Trump also asserted that the attacks were carried out with the approval of the Iraqi government, though Iraqi leadership has strongly rejected this claim.
Iraq’s president condemned the strikes as “an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled a scheduled visit to Jeddah, where he was to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Zaidi, who recently conducted diplomatic visits to Washington and Tehran, was reportedly expected to discuss reining in militia groups operating outside Iraqi government control. The cancellation has heightened tensions amid the ongoing regional conflict.
Sources familiar with Saudi government perspectives indicated that the strikes represented a strategic decision to send a clear message to Iraqi authorities. The attacks reportedly expanded on previous Saudi operations targeting militia drone and missile launch sites, which had not been publicly acknowledged.
The recent escalation fits within a broader pattern of Iranian proxy forces targeting Saudi infrastructure. Militias based in Iraq have previously struck at Saudi oil facilities, causing the shutdown of a refinery producing 400,000 barrels of oil per day earlier this week. Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, have targeted Saudi shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait—a major maritime chokepoint. The Yemeni government has accused Iran of planning to extract fees from ships transiting the area, similar to Tehran’s earlier attempts in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to these developments, Iran has continued ballistic missile attacks on U.S. bases throughout the region, signaling its intent to maintain pressure on the Trump administration and its Gulf allies. Despite repeated threats to escalate military action against Iran’s infrastructure, Trump has so far refrained from large-scale strikes on critical targets such as bridges and power stations.
Analysts suggest Iran’s strategy aims to compel the U.S. to accept its conditions for ending the conflict. However, prolonged U.S. naval blockades and targeting of Iranian economic infrastructure could deepen Tehran’s economic challenges and risk further intensifying the conflict. The evolving situation underscores ongoing volatility in the Middle East, where proxy confrontations and state-level tensions remain intertwined.