Iraqi PM cancels trip to Saudi Arabia amid security escalation

Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi. Photo: INA Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled on Wednesday his trip to Saudi Arabia, which was scheduled for Thursday. The step took place after major regional security escalations earlier in the day. The United States and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated airstrikes targeting Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites in several Iraqi provinces. The airstrikes come in response to repeated drone assaults on Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil facilities over the past few days. Riyadh said earlier that the drone attacks were launched by Iran-backed militias inside Iraq. An Iraqi government source told Shafaq News that all preparations for al-Zaidi’s visit to Saudi Arabia had been suspended due to the fast-paced security developments. According to reports, al-Zaidi was scheduled to discuss the deadline set by the government on September 30 to disarm unauthorized armed organizations. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was expected to publicly support Iraq’s efforts to impose governmental control on weaponry. Al-Zaidi wanted to personally reassure Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Iraqi land will not be used to attack neighboring countries. Before the trip was canceled, al-Zaidi directed Iraq’s security services to launch an official investigation into the drone claims. However, the US-Saudi strikes prompted the suspension of diplomatic discussions.