Iraqi PM calls emergency cabinet meeting after US, Saudi-linked strikes PHOTO

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency cabinet meeting after strikes that Baghdad blamed on the United States and Saudi Arabia.

According to a statement from the Iraqi government's press office, the authorities condemned the attack, saying it violated Iraq's sovereignty and resulted in the deaths and injuries of members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).

The government stressed that it would not allow Iraq to become an arena for regional conflicts and called on all parties to respect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Joint US-Saudi airstrikes on July 28-29, 2026, targeted multiple Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) sites across Iraqi provinces including Baghdad, Basra, Nineveh, and others. 

The operation, confirmed by US Central Command, responded to over 30 Iran-aligned drone attacks in the prior 72 hours that hit Saudi energy infrastructure and US forces, launched from Iraqi territory. At least 20 PMF members were killed and dozens wounded.

By Jeyhun Aghazada