Trump: US-Saudi strikes in Iraq coordinated with Baghdad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US-Saudi airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government, a statement that, if confirmed, would represent a significant shift in Baghdad’s approach to powerful armed groups aligned with Tehran. In an interview with Fox News, Trump referred to Iran-backed militias in Iraq as “a cancer on the world” and stated that he is considering “additional warnings” against Iranian proxy groups following the strikes. The strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government, referring to a joint US-Saudi operation. The Iraqi administration did not immediately respond to Trump’s accusations. The raids targeted outposts of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization that encompasses multiple Iran-backed militias and is officially incorporated into Iraq’s military forces. The PMF said that at least 20 of its members were murdered and 32 were injured in assaults across seven Iraqi regions. The action followed a series of drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil installations, which Riyadh said were carried out by Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory. The attacks were one of the most important military actions within Iraq in years, surprising many Iraqis and sparking fears that the nation was becoming a battleground for a broader regional conflict. Hours after the strikes, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled a scheduled travel to Saudi Arabia and held an emergency conference with top security officials, condemning the assaults as a breach of Iraqi sovereignty and urging caution. Trump’s claim that Baghdad coordinated the operation seems to contradict his first public pronouncements. If proven, however, it would imply that Iraqi officials covertly authorized action against forces that they increasingly see as acting beyond governmental authority. Although the PMF is technically part of Iraq’s security apparatus, many of its most prominent sections have strong links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and have repeatedly carried out military operations autonomously of the Iraqi government. Baghdad’s regional allies have accused these organizations of dragging the country into conflicts that are detrimental to its national interests. Analysts believe that any clandestine Iraqi collaboration with the attacks would signal rising irritation inside Baghdad with armed organizations suspected of working on behalf of Iran rather than the Iraqi state. This change would also reflect Al-Zaidi’s larger attempts to reestablish government authority over security policy while boosting relations with the US and Gulf Arab governments. The strikes occurred just one day after Al-Zaidi returned from a high-profile visit to Turkey, where Iraq signed agreements on energy, trade, and the Development Road transportation corridor, and weeks after visits to Washington and Tehran aimed at balancing relations with rival regional powers while attracting foreign investment. The recent escalation highlights Baghdad’s increasingly precarious position as it strives to maintain relations with Tehran while strengthening security and economic ties with Washington and its Gulf allies. Whether Trump’s assertion represents a major shift in Iraqi policy is likely to be one of the most keenly followed issues in the wake of the strikes.