Iraq calls Saudi-US attacks ‘flagrant violation of sovereignty’

Iraq's government has formally protested military operations conducted jointly by Saudi Arabia and the United States against Iranian-aligned paramilitary forces operating within its borders. The National Security Council, led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, issued a statement characterizing the airstrikes as breaches of Iraqi territorial integrity and international law. The operations, which spanned seven provinces from Kirkuk in the north to Basra in the south, resulted in at least 20 deaths among Popular Mobilisation Forces members and additional casualties among Iranian military advisers.

Saudi and American officials justified the strikes as defensive measures. According to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence, the operations responded to drone attacks originating from Iraqi territory and targeting petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh. US Central Command similarly stated the strikes targeted Iranian-backed armed groups responsible for assaults on American personnel. However, Iraqi officials demanded evidence supporting these claims, with a spokesperson for Iraq's armed forces commander stating no party had provided proof of attacks launched from Iraqi soil.

The diplomatic fallout proved immediate. Prime Minister al-Zaidi cancelled a scheduled visit to Riyadh—his first since taking office—in response to the strikes. Within Iraq, public anger mounted as PMF supporters gathered in Baghdad demanding the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador. Funerals held in Mosul for fallen fighters drew mourners calling for retaliation. The Iran-aligned militia group Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement warning the Iraqi government it had until August 6 to demonstrate capacity to defend national sovereignty, characterizing an immediate response to the strikes as inevitable.