Riyadh says Iraq strikes came after diplomatic efforts failed to curb armed groups

Saudi Arabia has said its strikes on Iraqi territory were aimed solely at armed groups that threatened the Kingdom and were not directed against the Iraqi government or its people, according to a Saudi source cited by Al Arabiya.

The source said the operation targeted military depots belonging to the groups in response to attacks on Saudi strategic facilities, including oil infrastructure.

According to the source, the decision to carry out the strikes came only after "all diplomatic and political measures had been exhausted" and following what it described as months of maximum restraint.

The source added that the activities of the armed groups were damaging Iraq's own interests and undermining its relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

The remarks come after Saudi Arabia launched strikes inside Iraq, with Riyadh presenting the operation as a response to security threats posed by armed factions operating from Iraqi territory. No immediate comment from the Iraqi government was included in the Al Arabiya report.

By Aghakazim Guliyev