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US and Saudi forces have launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, escalating tensions in the region amid a surge in recent attacks. The operation was described as a response to what officials called “30 IRGC-directed” drone strikes over the past month, including assaults on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities.
The development comes shortly after Washington accused Iran of attempting a surprise ballistic missile attack on a US military base in Jordan.
US officials say the strikes in Iraq targeted groups believed to be operating under directives from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which they blame for attacks on American personnel and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia confirmed its participation in the joint operation, calling the strikes an act of self-defence following repeated drone attacks on its petroleum facilities.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary network with factions aligned to Iran, reported that several of its headquarters across the country were hit. At least eight fighters were killed and four others injured in the northern province of Nineveh, according to PMF sources.
Meanwhile, Iran’s IRGC claimed responsibility for air attacks on a US airbase in Jordan. Jordanian authorities, however, said their air defence systems intercepted and destroyed five incoming missiles targeting the kingdom at dawn.
In a further escalation, the IRGC said it had intercepted and halted three tankers in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian official also indicated that Tehran has proposed a joint arrangement to manage shipping lanes in the strait, with Oman overseeing part of the opposite route.
Tehran has warned it is prepared to take “any action,” including resuming broader conflict, to maintain control over the critical maritime corridor.
Amid the rising tensions, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held what the White House described as “positive and productive” talks, with regional security likely high on the agenda.