Iraq and Saudi Arabia have opened security talks aimed at easing tensions after joint U.S. -Saudi strikes in Iraq killed at least 20 Popular Mobilization Forces fighters and delayed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s planned visit to Riyadh. The discussions focus on cross-border drone activity, air-defense coordination, intelligence sharing and border security.
The strikes on July 29 targeted Iran-aligned armed groups at sites across Iraq after Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraqi territory had targeted petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh. The United States said the operation targeted logistics and weapons sites linked to more than 30 drone attacks directed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Iraqi officials condemned the action as a violation of sovereignty, while the Iraqi-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied responsibility for the attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The PMF reported that at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded. Iranian and Iraqi reporting also identified at least four or five Iranian military advisers among the dead. Iraq’s National Security Council convened an emergency meeting chaired by al-Zaidi, and his first official trip to Saudi Arabia, scheduled for July 30, was canceled after the strikes.
Saudi-Iraqi tensions have unfolded alongside a separate escalation involving Yemen’s Houthi movement. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi vessels on July 20 and claimed attacks on Saudi installations. Saudi Arabia later struck Houthi military positions in Hodeida, while the Houthis claimed a missile launch toward Jizan.
A senior Iraqi security delegation subsequently traveled to Riyadh. The delegation included Iraq’s intelligence chief, air-defense commander and counterterrorism chief, and held talks with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. Saudi Arabia said it would support Iraq’s security and stability, while Iraq reiterated that it would not allow its territory to be used to attack neighboring countries and rejected violations of its own sovereignty.
Saudi intelligence chief Khalid al-Humaidan also visited Baghdad and renewed al-Zaidi’s invitation to Riyadh. The Iraqi prime minister is expected to make the trip once security understandings are reached, leaving the proposed visit dependent on efforts to contain the dispute over militia activity and attacks launched across the border.