ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several members of Iraq's pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed and others wounded after the United States and Saudi Arabia early Wednesday carried out coordinated airstrikes on PMF headquarters across Iraq, with Washington and Riyadh saying they targeted the Tehran-aligned groups responsible for recent drone attacks on US forces and Saudi oil infrastructure.
In a statement, the PMF condemned the strikes as "a grave escalation," saying its facilities had come under "treacherous terrorist attacks launched by US and Saudi forces."
"According to preliminary information, these attacks resulted in the martyrdom of a number of personnel and the injury of others, in addition to material damage to several buildings and properties belonging to the PMF," read the statement.
This comes as Iran fired several missiles at US bases in the region overnight and struck three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz according to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) media.
The latest escalation follows Saudi accusations earlier this week that Iran-backed groups operating from Iraq launched drones toward the kingdom's Eastern Province and Riyadh region. Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province contains roughly 70 to 80 percent of the kingdom's oil production, including the headquarters of Saudi Aramco and key energy sites.
The strikes came after Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq of launching repeated drone attacks against the kingdom's oil infrastructure.
Saudi defense ministry spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the Saudi Armed Forces, "in coordination with the US Central Command (CENTCOM)," had conducted "specific precision strikes" against militia targets in Iraq linked to the attacks.
According to the ministry, the operation targeted groups "linked to the attacks on oil facilities in the Kingdom" following multiple intercepted drone attacks over recent days.
Early Wednesday before dawn Jordan's air defenses intercepted and shot down "five missiles originating from Iran that targeted the Kingdom’s territory.” Jordanian Armed Forces vowed to "not tolerate any threat to the security of the nation and the safety of its citizens,” in a statement on X.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM said US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck "multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq" on Wednesday.
The command said the operation was "a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours."
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted "Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure."
"The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful," CENTCOM added, saying there had been "more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq" between February and April 2026.
"The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response," the statement said.
In its statement, the PMF described the strikes as "a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and an assault on its official security institutions," adding that authorities were still assessing casualties and damage.
The statement reiterated Riyadh's claim that the attacks "originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by pro-Iranian terrorist militias," adding that Saudi Arabia had acted under "the right of self-defense guaranteed by international law."
Earlier on Wednesday, CENTCOM also said Iran's IRGC had launched "multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East."
"All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness," the command said.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that the IRGC Navy had struck three commercial vessels on Wednesday.
"A few hours ago, three violating tankers that continued to move along an unsafe and illegal route, disregarding our warnings, were struck and halted," the IRGC Navy said, according to Iranian state media.
Following Saudi's accusations of Iraq, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Monday ordered security agencies to investigate Saudi claims that drones targeting the kingdom had been launched from Iraqi territory.
"The Iraqi government affirms its constitutional and steadfast commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, and to not allowing Iraqi territory to be used as a corridor or launchpad for any aggression targeting brotherly or friendly nations," government spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said at the time, adding that legal action would be taken against anyone found responsible.
The latest strikes come as Prime Minister al-Zaidi is in Turkey on an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation with Ankara.
Also on Wednesday, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement condemned the US-Saudi strikes on Iraq, denouncing them as an attack on Iraqi sovereignty and expressing solidarity with the country.
"This targeting is a grave escalation, a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and an attack on its official security institutions," Yemeni state media reported.
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