Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council following overnight airstrikes by the United States and Saudi Arabia targeting Iran-backed militias in the country.
The emergency meeting in Baghdad is expected to review the security situation and assess the impact of the strikes.
According to the U.S. military, the coordinated strikes targeted Iran-aligned militia positions in Iraq in response to more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over the previous 72 hours.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mostly Shiite militias aligned with Iran, said 20 of its fighters were killed, while 32 others sustained injuries.
The PMF said the airstrikes hit locations around Baghdad, the southern province of Basra and Nineveh Province in northern Iraq, damaging buildings, vehicles and military equipment.
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said the operation targeted militia positions that had previously been used to launch attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
Regional tensions have escalated since the outbreak of the conflict involving Iran, with Gulf states reporting attacks allegedly linked to Iran-backed militias operating from Iraq.
Al-Zaidi’s government has repeatedly expressed its intention to disarm armed militias operating in the country, although officials acknowledge that achieving the objective remains a significant challenge.
