Saudi Arabia and U.S. Forces Launch Airstrikes on Pro-Iranian Groups in Iraq... Full-Scale Escalation Begins

"Forces Attempted to Attack Saudi Infrastructure"
"A Signal of Deeper Involvement in the War"

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Website

Saudi Arabia (Saudi) jointly conducted airstrikes with U.S. forces on pro-Iranian militia groups in Iraq. This marks the first time Saudi Arabia has officially participated in airstrikes with the U.S. military during the Iran War, raising concerns that the conflict may escalate further.

On July 28 (local time), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on X, a social networking service, that "alongside Saudi forces, we have carried out precision strikes in Iraq targeting terrorists linked to Iran." The statement continued, "These groups were attempting to attack U.S. and Saudi energy infrastructure under the command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran." It also explained, "In response to over 30 drone attacks ordered by the IRGC in the past 72 hours, U.S. and Saudi fighter jets targeted logistics and weapons depots across eastern Iraq."

Immediately after the airstrikes, the Saudi Ministry of Defense released a statement asserting, "Today’s joint airstrike with U.S. forces was a response to recent drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks on oil facilities launched from Iraqi territory." The ministry emphasized, "We do not wish to see the situation deteriorate, but we will respond to all attacks we face."

This is the first time since the outbreak of the Iran War that Saudi Arabia has officially conducted joint air operations with the U.S. Previously, in March and April, there were foreign press reports alleging that Saudi forces secretly took part in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian territory, but the Saudi government had never officially confirmed its participation in such joint operations.

Not only are pro-Iranian armed groups in the Middle East escalating their military provocations, but Iran itself continues such actions. On this day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement that "in response to aggressive actions by the U.S. military, we have launched ballistic missiles at the U.S. Air Force base and central command post stationed in Jordan." Although the U.S. had suspended airstrikes on Iran since July 24, Iran took the initiative with a pre-emptive strike. The IRGC also declared that it attacked oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, stating, "Three tankers that ignored warnings and persisted on illegal routes were struck and stopped."

With Iran’s military provocations ongoing and Saudi Arabia now participating in U.S.-led airstrikes, concerns over a wider Iran War are intensifying. Mark Cancian, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told The Washington Post that "Saudi Arabia has taken a step it had previously been reluctant to take," adding, "It could signal a sign of deeper involvement in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.