U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq kill at least 20 Iran-backed fighters, group says
CENTCOM said U.S. and Saudi forces hit Iran-backed sites in Iraq after drone attacks on American forces and Saudi energy facilities.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
U.S.-Saudi strikes in Iraq killed at least 20 fighters from an Iran-backed paramilitary network, the group said Wednesday, as the war widened across the Middle East with missile interceptions, tanker attacks and a tense White House backdrop.
U.S. Central Command said American and Saudi forces carried out strikes late Tuesday against Iranian-backed groups in Iraq. CENTCOM said the operation targeted “terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq” after a string of recent attacks aimed at U.S. forces and Saudi energy sites.
The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organization of Iraqi paramilitary groups backed by Iran, said at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 others were wounded. The PMF said its headquarters in Baghdad and six other locations were hit.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed it took part, saying it conducted precise, targeted strikes and cited its right to self-defense.
Why did the U.S. and Saudi Arabia strike Iraq?
CENTCOM said the strikes followed more than 30 attempted drone attacks over three days against U.S. forces and Saudi energy sites. The command said the attacks on American assets were unsuccessful.
Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted drones launched from Iraq that were aimed at petroleum facilities in Riyadh and in the country’s east.
The strikes marked a sharp escalation after U.S. officials said Iran had launched ballistic missiles at American forces in the region. CENTCOM said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired multiple missiles at 5:45 p.m. ET Tuesday in what it described as an attempted surprise attack.
All of the Iranian missiles launched at U.S. forces in the Middle East were intercepted, CENTCOM said. The command said U.S. forces remained on alert.
Jordan’s military said its air defenses also intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday. The military said the missiles were destroyed and did not report casualties.
What is the Popular Mobilization Forces?
The Popular Mobilization Forces is an umbrella group of Iraqi paramilitary forces backed by Iran. Its fighters and facilities were the targets of the U.S.-Saudi operation, according to the PMF and CENTCOM.
The fighting was not confined to Iraq. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that the Revolutionary Guards struck and stopped three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim reported that the tankers had ignored warnings and continued along what it called an unsafe and illegal route. It was not immediately clear whether the vessels were badly damaged or whether any crew members were injured.
Earlier Tuesday, Yemen’s Houthi militant group, an Iranian proxy, said it had fired several ballistic missiles at a Saudi-flagged tanker in the Red Sea, according to AFP.
In Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Trump at the White House for a little over an hour. A senior Israeli source who accompanied Netanyahu described the meeting as extremely positive and said the two leaders discussed Iran and reaffirmed their commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Before the meeting, Mr. Trump pushed back in comments to Fox News on a question about Netanyahu wanting to discuss Pickaxe Mountain, described as a supposed Iranian nuclear facility. Mr. Trump said he did not need Netanyahu to tell him about it and added that he knew what was happening there.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.