Iraq Convenes Emergency Security Meeting Following Joint US-Saudi Airstrikes

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi has called for an urgent security meeting following joint US-Saudi airstrikes targeting pro-Iranian paramilitary forces within Iraq on July 29, 2026. The strikes, which killed between 10 and 20 members of the Popular Mobilisation forces, were described by US Central Command as precision operations in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. While US President Donald Trump asserted the strikes were coordinated with Baghdad, the Iraqi government has condemned the actions as a violation of sovereignty. The escalation occurs against a backdrop of regional conflict involving Houthi-led maritime blockades in the Bab al-Mandeb and Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz.

// Background

The strikes are part of a widening regional conflict. Tensions spiked on July 14, 2026, when Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aid flight from landing. In response, Houthi forces in Yemen and allied groups in Iraq began targeting Saudi oil infrastructure and implementing a partial blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, complementing Iran's existing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

// Key Developments

• Joint US-Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation forces in Iraq, resulting in 10 to 20 fatalities.
• The operation was a response to recent drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities launched from Yemen and Iraq.
• Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi convened an emergency security meeting to address the breach of national sovereignty.
• US President Donald Trump claimed the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government, a claim not corroborated by Baghdad.
• The conflict has expanded to strategic maritime corridors, with blockades currently affecting the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.