RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has joined the United States in carrying out airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq following a series of missile and drone attacks targeting US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists” directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack American forces and Saudi oil facilities.
According to CENTCOM, the joint operation struck multiple logistics and weapons sites used by the militias across eastern Iraq.
The military command said the action came in response to more than 30 drone attacks allegedly orchestrated by the IRGC over the past 72 hours.
“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The strikes followed hours after CENTCOM announced that Iran had launched missiles targeting US forces in the Middle East in what it described as an attempted surprise attack.
The US military said the missiles were fired at approximately 5:45 p.m. EDT (9:45 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday but were successfully intercepted before reaching their intended targets.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed launching the missiles, saying they targeted a US air base and a military command centre in Jordan in retaliation for what it described as American aggression.
The IRGC also claimed its naval forces struck three oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz after the vessels allegedly ignored warnings and navigated through what Tehran called an unsafe route.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella organisation comprising mainly Shia militias, said at least 20 of its fighters were killed and another 32 injured during the US-Saudi airstrikes.
The PMF condemned the operation as a dangerous escalation and accused Washington and Riyadh of violating Iraq’s sovereignty.
Several factions within the PMF maintain close ties with Iran and have repeatedly launched attacks against US military personnel and interests in Iraq, demanding the withdrawal of American troops from the country.
An Iranian defence official, quoted by state television, denied Tehran had directed the recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning that blaming Iran for attacks on US interests amounted to a “major miscalculation.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that its air defence systems had intercepted drones targeting petroleum facilities in the country’s eastern region.
Saudi Defence Ministry spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki accused Iran-affiliated militia groups operating from Iraqi territory of launching the drones.
The renewed hostilities came just a day after US President Donald Trump said Washington and Tehran had engaged in what he described as “very friendly negotiations,” following a three-day lull in direct exchanges between the two sides.
The pause had ended nearly two weeks of sustained US bombing operations against targets in southern Iran, where Washington said it destroyed tunnels and bridges used for military purposes.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil exports pass, remains one of the central issues fuelling tensions in the Gulf.
Concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies pushed oil prices higher in early Wednesday trading as investors monitored the rapidly evolving security situation.
