BySETH J. FRANTZMANJULY 28, 2026 11:57Updated: JULY 28, 2026 12:01Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Iraq on Monday in the wake of a new round of Iranian-backed militia attacks on the Kingdom.Saudi Arabia has seen tensions rise with the Houthis in recent weeks. Now, it appears that Iran has encouraged its militias in Iraq to also target the Kingdom.This would present Saudi Arabia with a multi-front conflict, similar to what Iran has conducted in other areas of the region.Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it expressed the “strongest condemnation of the reprehensible drone attacks carried out by Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq."The Kingdom went on to say that it “reaffirms its unwavering determination to safeguard its security and sovereignty, deter aggressors and exercise its right to respond to the sources of the attacks.” Riyadh added that it also “stresses the need for the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to prevent its territories from being used as grounds from which acts of aggression are launched.”Men gesture as they express their affiliation and support for the Houthi movement while standing over a depiction of the US flag during a demonstration by university students amid escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia, at the Sanaa University campus in Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on July 22. (credit: Getty Images/MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP)Iran-backed militias, Houthis threaten Saudi Arabia as regional strategyIran-backed militias have threatened Saudi Arabia for years as part of Tehran’s broader strategy. The most persistent threat to Saudi Arabia has come from the Houthis in Yemen.After Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015, the Houthis launched hundreds of missiles and drones toward Saudi territory, targeting airports, cities and critical energy infrastructure. Iran supplied the Houthis with increasingly sophisticated missile and drone technology, greatly expanding their ability to strike deep inside the kingdom.In September 2019, Iran attacked Saudi Aramco facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais. The Houthis claimed responsibility for those attacks, although the United States and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the attacks.Iran-backed groups in Iraq have also emerged as a potential threat to Riyadh in recent years. Tehran has supplied some Iraqi militias with missiles and drone technology. An apparent Iraqi militia drone attack targeted Riyadh in January 2021.Follow us on Google