Iraq calls Saudi-US attacks ‘flagrant violation of sovereignty’

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftDonald TrumpTrump’s 50 percent Canada tariffs: What to knowHow Iran war fallout may shape US electionsA visual guide to redistrictingcaret-rightNews|Donald TrumpIraq calls Saudi-US attacks a ‘flagrant violation of sovereignty’Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi cancels first official trip to Saudi Arabia in protest. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA child rests his head on the coffin of a Popular Mobilisation Forces fighter draped in the Iraqi flag during a funeral for fighters killed in US-Saudi air strikes on PMF bases in Najaf, Iraq, on July 30, 2026 [Anmar Khalil/AP Photo]By Ali Mustafa, AFP and ReutersPublished On 29 Jul 202629 Jul 2026Iraq’s National Security Council has condemned Wednesday’s Saudi-US strikes against the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which killed at least 20 members of the Iraqi paramilitary group. The council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, called the attacks on PMF bases in seven Iraqi provinces “a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands”. “An aggression”, according to a statement shared on X, “in contravention of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter”. “Any transgression or compromise of Iraq’s security and sovereignty will not be tolerated under any circumstances”, it said. Saudi Arabia and US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the joint air strikes targeted Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq responsible for attacks on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. The Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the strikes were “in response ⁠to recent drone attacks” and that Saudi air defences had “intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions… launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-aligned terrorist militias”. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella coalition of self-proclaimed resistance groups backed by Iran, had denied any role in the attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the Saudi claims were “fabrications” and that “any foolish Saudi action will be met with a harsh response”. The joint Saudi-US attacks, from the Iraqi cities of Kirkuk in the north to Basra in the south, killed at least 20 PMF members and at least four advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian and Iraqi media reports. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi was due in the Saudi capital on Thursday, his first visit since taking office, but the visit has been cancelled following the attacks. Baghdad has complained that US-Saudi “aggression has hindered investigation efforts regarding the alleged targeting of Saudi Arabia”. “We demand evidence and proof regarding the launch of attacks from Iraq, and no party has provided any evidence,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief for Iraq’s armed forces told the Iraqi News Agency. Funerals were held in Mosul for some of the PMF fighters killed, with mourners calling for revenge. There is also anger on the streets of the capital, Baghdad, where PMF supporters rallied, demanding the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador. In a statement, the Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah said it would give the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate it can defend Iraq’s sovereignty. The group said an immediate response to the US-Saudi attack is “inevitable”. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: