US, Saudi forces strike Iran-backed sites in Iraq

Washington: US and Saudi Arabian forces carried out precision airstrikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq on Tuesday (local time) after more than 30 drone attacks targeted American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure, the US Central Command said.

US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck several logistics and weapons sites used by the groups, according to CENTCOM. It described the operation as a response to aerial attacks conducted over the previous 72 hours under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful,” CENTCOM said.

The command did not identify the groups targeted or disclose the locations of the strikes beyond saying they occurred across eastern Iraq. It also provided no information about casualties or the extent of damage caused by the operation.

CENTCOM said Iran-aligned militias in Iraq had attempted more than 600 attacks against US citizens and facilities between February and April 2026.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response,” it said.

The joint strikes came on a day of heightened military activity across the Middle East. CENTCOM said the IRGC launched several ballistic missiles from Iran at 5.45 p.m. Eastern Time in what it described as an attempted surprise attack on US forces stationed in the region.

“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted,” the command said. “U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

CENTCOM did not say how many missiles were fired, where they were intercepted or which US bases appeared to have been targeted. It also did not identify the defence systems used to stop them.

The command separately said more than 20 US Navy warships were operating across the Middle East in support of military missions. Those operations included what it called strict enforcement of America’s “steel wall blockade” against Iran.

As of July 28, CENTCOM said it had redirected 18 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded another two to enforce compliance. It did not identify the ships, their owners, their cargo or the waters in which the encounters took place.

–IANS