Saudi Arabia defends Iraq airstrikes, says all diplomatic paths exhausted
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Saudi Arabia on Friday defended joint airstrikes with the United States on Iran-backed militia targets in Iraq, saying all diplomatic and political avenues had been exhausted. A senior official told state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV that the strikes were limited to military depots used to threaten the kingdom's security and were not aimed at the Iraqi government or people. The remarks follow a July 29 announcement by U.S. Central Command that American and Saudi forces had hit militia sites across seven Iraqi provinces after intercepting drones targeting Saudi oil facilities.
The Saudi Defense
The official, speaking to Al-Ekhbariya, stressed that Riyadh had shown 'maximum restraint' for months before resorting to force. He said the military response targeted only the capacity of militias that threaten Saudi security, particularly through drone attacks on oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh. The official warned that sectarian incitement by 'some inside and outside Iraq' would not fool the Iraqi people, and accused those who oppose closer ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia of fueling instability.
The Strikes and Reaction
On July 29, CENTCOM confirmed that U.S. and Saudi forces struck Iran-backed militia targets in eastern Iraq after multiple drones were intercepted en route to Saudi oil sites. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) reported that the strikes hit its headquarters in seven provinces: Baghdad, Wasit, Mosul, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala. The Saudi Defense Ministry earlier said its air defenses had destroyed the drones launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned groups.
What's Next
The Iraqi government is expected to issue a formal response in the coming days, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani under pressure from Iran-aligned factions to condemn the strikes. It remains unclear whether the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will conduct further operations, amid warnings from analysts that the cycle of drone attacks and counterstrikes could spiral into a broader conflict.
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Saudi Arabia defends Iraq airstrikes, says all diplomatic paths exhausted
