At least 20 fighters, including several Iranian advisers, were killed after joint US-Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, according to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
The United States and Saudi Arabia said the strikes were carried out in response to recent attacks on US military personnel and Saudi oil facilities allegedly linked to Iran-backed militants.
The PMF, also known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, said the strikes killed at least 20 fighters and injured 32 others, according to a preliminary casualty report.
Two PMF officials said five Iranian advisers were among those killed in the attack on Diyala Province in central Iraq.
Funeral ceremonies held in Baghdad featured coffins draped in Iranian flags for those killed in the strikes.
The Hashed al-Shaabi was established in 2014 to help fight jihadist groups before later being integrated into Iraq’s armed forces. The alliance includes several Iran-backed factions accused of operating independently.
US President Donald Trump said the military operation was coordinated with the Iraqi government.
The strikes come amid increasing pressure from Washington on Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have repeatedly targeted US military facilities and demanded the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
Iraq’s Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, who assumed office earlier this year, has pledged to ensure the armed groups surrender their weapons, although the move has faced resistance from influential factions.
Earlier this month, Zaidi held separate visits to the United States and Iran as part of efforts to ease regional tensions.
Tensions rise after drone attacks
The latest military action followed reports from Saudi Arabia that its air defenses intercepted drones targeting oil facilities, with Riyadh blaming Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq.
Several of the factions belong to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an alliance that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on US military bases across Iraq and the wider Middle East in support of Iran.
Following the strikes, the group warned that retaliation against the United States was “inevitable” and suggested Saudi Arabia could also be targeted.
However, it said any response would be delayed until after the Arbaeen pilgrimage, one of the largest religious gatherings in the Shia Muslim calendar.
The alliance denied carrying out the recent drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities and has not claimed responsibility for any attacks since the latest phase of the US-Iran conflict began earlier this month.
Iraq condemns strikes
The Iraqi government condemned the US-Saudi operation, describing it as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
In a statement, the Ministerial Council for National Security said Iraq rejects “all acts of aggression, regardless of the party responsible or the justifications presented.”
The council reiterated its commitment to preventing Iraqi territory from being used to threaten neighbouring countries while maintaining the state’s exclusive control over weapons.
The Iraqi government has given armed groups designated as terrorist organisations by Washington until September 30 to disarm.
The latest escalation adds to regional tensions as Iraq continues efforts to maintain stability after decades of conflict while balancing relations with both the United States and Iran.
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