US-Iran Conflict Spreads Across Middle East as Saudi Arabia Joins Strikes

A new escalation of military conflict between the United States and Iran has spread across at least five Middle Eastern nations, following airstrikes, retaliation by regional proxy forces, and direct Saudi military intervention in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia announced it conducted joint airstrikes with the US inside Iraq targeting the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, resulting in at least 20 casualties. Iraqi officials denied prior knowledge of the joint operation, which Saudi Arabia initiated after blaming Iraqi-based militias for drone attacks on its energy facilities on July 27, 2026.

The military escalation follows an Iranian ballistic missile attack on US forces in Jordan, which Washington termed a surprise attack despite a recently suspended 13-day barrage of US strikes. Regional maritime trade remains heavily disrupted due to restrictions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi blockades in the Red Sea, driving crude oil prices above $90 a barrel.