Peregraf - Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out strikes early Wednesday on headquarters of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Nineveh, Basra, Wasit, Karbala, Kirkuk, Salahaddin, Diyala, and Baghdad provinces.
The PMF said in a statement that at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 wounded, in a preliminary toll from what it called terrorist attacks carried out by a joint US-Saudi operation. The group said the operation targeted a number of its official headquarters across several Iraqi provinces.
The PMF said the attacks struck its headquarters in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala provinces, also causing varying degrees of damage to a number of headquarters, vehicles, and military equipment.
The PMF said specialized committees are continuing fieldwork to assess the damage and verify the information. It said the announced casualty figures are preliminary and may rise or be updated as search, verification, and field reporting continue.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said separately that the strikes, carried out by Saudi armed forces in coordination with US Central Command (CENTCOM), targeted specific locations in Iraq linked to attacks on oil facilities inside the kingdom. It described the strikes as an act of self-defense under international law.
The ministry said the action followed two earlier statements issued Monday and Tuesday, in which it said Saudi Arabia had been targeted by drone attacks it attributed to Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. It stated the kingdom's intent to deter the attacks and its right to respond.
The ministry said the strikes were based on the right to self-defense guaranteed under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. It added that Saudi Arabia does not seek escalation but will take whatever measures are necessary to protect its sovereignty, citizens, and assets if attacked.
CENTCOM said in a statement posted to X early Wednesday that US and Saudi forces conducted precision strikes in Iraq on July 28 against Iran-aligned armed groups. It said the groups were directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
CENTCOM said US and Saudi aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq, in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks over the preceding 72 hours. It said the attacks against US forces had not succeeded.
The command added that more than 600 attacks on US citizens and facilities in Iraq had been attempted by Iran-aligned armed groups between February and April 2026. It called on the IRGC and the groups it works with to halt the attacks or face further US military action.
Neither the Saudi ministry nor CENTCOM statements named the PMF specifically as a target of the strikes.