(SeaPRwire) – By: Gavin Thorne
The joint US-Saudi strikes on Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) positions have set off a political tempest. Baghdad immediately decried the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty, while Washington and Riyadh claimed they targeted Iran-linked militants in response to a drone strike on Saudi oil facilities. Iraqi officials revealed the strikes hit seven provinces, with the PMF reporting at least 20 dead and 32 wounded. Crucially, the PMF is formally part of Iraq’s security structure, meaning these strikes aren’t just attacks on armed factions—they’re seen as assaults on Iraqi state institutions.
US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the strikes were coordinated with Baghdad sharply contrasted with Iraq’s public stance. Iraq’s government clearly labeled the strikes a sovereignty violation, creating a rift between the US claim and Iraq’s position. This tension escalated further after Tehran launched missiles at US military installations in Jordan earlier this week, marking Iran’s first regional attack since hostilities subsided.
Former IRGC commander Hossein Kanani Moghaddam warned the strikes would prompt a coordinated response from Iran and its allies. “An attack on Iraq is an attack on Iran due to their strategic bond,” he told RT. Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Shahri, head of the Saudi Experience Forum, described the attacks on Saudi infrastructure as crossing a “red line.” Iraq, which has repeatedly tried to avoid being drawn into wider regional confrontations, is now once again at the center of a complex geopolitical showdown. The latest escalation underscores the fragility of Iraq’s quest for neutrality amid overlapping US, Saudi, and Iranian interests. With both Iran and Saudi Arabia staking their claims, the risk of further instability in the region looms large. Iraq’s sovereignty is now deeply entangled in a web of regional rivalries, and the path forward remains uncertain.
Author bio: Gavin Thorne, investigative journalist based in Washington, D.C., specializing in tracking geopolitical flashpoints and legislative affairs affecting regional stability.