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Iraq Strikes After Missile Attack
The United States and Saudi Arabia launched joint strikes on Wednesday against Iran-backed groups in Iraq after Iran launched missiles at US forces in the region and after more than 30 drone attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over the previous 72 hours.
“all missiles "successfully intercepted"”
CENTCOM said the operation hit "multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq" and described the drone attacks as "unwarranted" and unsuccessful.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded in strikes on its sites across Iraq, while the BBC reported the US said the Iranian attack occurred at 17:45 EDT (21:45 GMT) on Tuesday and that all missiles were "successfully intercepted."
In Jordan, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted a US air base and the US Central Command Centre in Jordan with ballistic missiles, and the BBC reported that US President Donald Trump responded to the attack by saying US forces would be "hitting them hard" and "They're going to get a beating."
Condemnations and Calls for Halt
Iran condemned the US-Saudi strikes on Iraq as "clear aggression against the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq," and it said the attacks were a "gross violation" of international law.
The PMF called the strikes a "dangerous escalation" and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, while the BBC reported that the Iraqi presidency denounced the bombing of PMF bases as "an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty".
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it conducted "precise and targeted strikes" under its "right to self-defence," and it accused "Iran-backed terrorist militias" of launching drones from Iraqi territory at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions.
The UAE Foreign Ministry renewed its support for Saudi Arabia, saying it "strongly condemns the renewed aggressive drone attacks launched from Iraqi soil" and described them as "a flagrant violation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty".
What Comes Next for the War
The strikes came as the US and Saudi operation was described as a response to attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure, with CENTCOM warning that the IRGC and its allied groups "must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response."
“normally carries about 20 per cent of the world's traded oil”
The BBC said the strikes could pose a challenge to a five-day lull in US attacks on Iran, while it also reported that the US said it prevented an Iranian "surprise attack" and that it was unclear when or whether strikes on Iran could resume.
In Washington, President Donald Trump told Fox News that "We'll be hitting them hard" and said "We are going to beat the 'effing s' out of them," as the Express Tribune reported that the joint strikes were the first US airstrikes in the Middle East since Trump suspended the US bombing campaign against Iran last week.
Oil prices climbed more than $3 a barrel amid renewed fears of disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Times of India said the strategic waterway normally carries about 20 per cent of the world’s traded oil while renewed exchanges renewed fears of a wider regional conflict centered on Hormuz.
