Saudi Arabia has joined forces with the United States in launching a series of air strikes targeting Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, marking a significant shift in the kingdom’s approach to the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran. The joint operation, which occurred on the night of July 29, followed a barrage of roughly 30 drone attacks over a 72-hour period that targeted both U.S. military personnel and Saudi energy infrastructure, according to U.S. Central Command.

The escalation reflects growing tensions after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who receive support from Iran, announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on July 20. This strait is a critical maritime chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea, connecting trade routes and energy exports to global markets. The Houthis, following a fragile truce with Saudi Arabia in 2022 after seven years of conflict, have launched ballistic missile strikes at Saudi oil tankers attempting to transit the area. These attacks have partly trapped Saudi oil supplies despite the kingdom’s utilization of a bypass pipeline running across Saudi territory from the Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Efforts to circumvent the blockade have included the use of ships operated by countries such as China, India, and Pakistan, as well as vessels switching off location beacons to evade Houthi attacks. However, these measures remain precarious amid potential insurance withdrawals by shipping companies and reports that the Houthis may impose tolls on passing vessels—a move reportedly discussed with Iranian officials during the recent funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Alternative routes, such as shipping northward through Egypt, exist but are constrained by infrastructure limitations and add significant transit time. Some analysts have speculated that Israel could offer pipeline access through its territory to the Mediterranean, though political considerations complicate such cooperation.

The air strikes targeted bases linked to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a Shia paramilitary umbrella group aligned with the Iraqi state and supported by Iran. The Saudi foreign ministry emphasized that the kingdom does not seek further escalation, stating that around 20 fighters were killed. In response, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian proxy group often operating under the PMF, asserted that the initial drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure were carried out by the Houthis rather than Iraqi militias.

Saudi Arabia’s involvement highlights the broader strategic challenge posed by Iran, which is exerting pressure on multiple fronts, including through proxy groups in Iraq and Yemen. The kingdom faces a complex dilemma in addressing these threats without provoking a wider conflict or further disrupting critical international waterways.

The United States, which has previously launched an extensive campaign against the Houthis involving over 1,100 strikes before May 2025, has largely adopted a stance of urging restraint from the Houthi movement. Despite significant military efforts, U.S. intelligence concluded that damage to the group was limited and reversible.

Observers note that Saudi Arabia’s previous air campaign in Yemen, initiated in 2015 under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to counter Iranian influence, proved costly and failed to break the stalemate, exacerbating humanitarian crises and diminishing Riyadh’s international standing.

The Houthis’ blockade aims to compel Riyadh to make concessions, including paying salaries for government workers in Houthi-controlled territories and reopening Sanaa Airport to international flights. However, such moves are complicated by U.S. sanctions triggered when the Biden administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization in 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s recent retaliation underscores its intent to protect vital oil infrastructure and sovereignty against Iranian-sponsored attacks. While the kingdom has previously carried out undisclosed strikes against targets within Iran, the current collaborative operations with the United States in Iraq signal an intensification of military responses to what Saudi officials describe as a calculated and multifaceted Iranian campaign against their national interests.

As the conflict unfolds, Saudi Arabia confronts the possibility of further escalation on two fronts, with its energy exports and economic stability increasingly vulnerable amid ongoing proxy confrontations in the Gulf and Red Sea regions.