Iraq raises air defence alert level as armed forces commander orders stronger intelligence plans

The spokesman for the commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces said the commander had ordered a higher level of alert and readiness at all of the country's military bases and garrisons. The report was published on Saturday 1 August 2026 (10 Mordad 1405).

According to the spokesman, the orders also cover the strengthening of preventive intelligence plans to neutralise any attack or infiltration. He additionally referred to a plan to speed up the process of equipping Iraqi forces with radar and air defence systems.

According to the account given by Iraqi sources and reported by the Mehr news agency, the measures follow a recent United States and Saudi strike on Popular Mobilisation Forces positions, which those same sources said left at least 20 people dead and 32 wounded. Iraq is a destination for part of Iran's non oil exports and the venue for the Iraqi central bank's dollar auction, so its security developments feed into the trade and currency channels between the two countries.