War flares as US, Saudi forces strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq
Children play around an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on March 5, 2026.(AFP photo)
U.S. and Saudi fighter jets struck weapons and logistics sites used by Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq following a wave of drone attacks on American forces and Saudi oil facilities, military officials said on July 29.
U.S. Central Command said the coordinated operation was carried out in response to more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours that it attributed to groups directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It said the attacks targeting U.S. forces were unsuccessful.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said the targets were linked to militias it blamed for recent drone attacks on petroleum facilities in the kingdom’s Eastern Province and around Riyadh.
