US-Saudi Strikes on Iranian-Backed Militias Send Oil Prices Soaring

The US and Saudi Arabia launched joint airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq on July 29, killing at least 20 fighters and wounding 32.

The strikes targeted positions of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in seven provinces, including Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala.

The PMF said the toll was preliminary and could rise as inspection teams assessed the damage. It called the operation a 'dangerous escalation' and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American and Saudi aircraft struck 'terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq', answering more than 30 drone attacks on US forces and Saudi energy sites over the previous 72 hours, directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.