Saudi Joins US in Strikes Against Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq
US and Saudi Arabia launched joint airstrikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, drawing Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia into combat against Shiite proxies of Iran on a new front.
The strikes, which targeted several bases across Iraq, resulted in the deaths of at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group incorporated into the formal Iraqi security forces.
Washington and Riyadh claimed they were retaliating for drone attacks on Saudi oil targets, while Iraq's government called an emergency meeting to address the situation.
The conflict has been ongoing since February, with the US and Israel starting the war. The renewed fighting sent oil prices rising more than $US3 a barrel, with Brent Crude futures trading above $US87.