Iraq's national security council calls US-Saudi strikes a flagrant violation of sovereignty; PM cancels Riyadh trip

Iraq's National Security Council, in an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, called the joint Saudi-US air strikes of Wednesday 29 July 2026 (7 Mordad 1405) on Popular Mobilisation Forces bases a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands. According to Al Jazeera, the strikes ran from Kirkuk in the north to Basra in the south across seven provinces and killed at least 20 PMF members.

Al-Zaidi's trip to Riyadh, scheduled for Thursday 30 July as his first official visit since taking office, was cancelled. The spokesperson for the commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces told the Iraqi news agency that Baghdad demands evidence that drones were launched from Iraqi territory and that no party has provided any.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence said the strikes were a response to recent drone attacks and that Saudi air defences intercepted several drones launched from Iraqi territory toward petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and the Riyadh region. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has denied any role. Kataib Hezbollah said it would give the Iraqi government until 6 August to show it can defend the country's sovereignty.