• U.S. and Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-backed groups in Iraq.
• The strikes were in response to over 30 drone attacks on U.S. and Saudi facilities.
• The operation emphasizes U.S.-Saudi military cooperation in the region.
• Saudi Arabia intercepted drones aimed at its oil facilities before the strikes.
• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s involvement was indicated by U.S. military officials.

The U.S. military, in coordination with Saudi Arabia, conducted strikes on July 28 against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq. The operation was in response to drone attacks targeting U.S. and Saudi interests, which the U.S. Central Command attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directing these militants. The U.S. military stated that the previous attacks on its forces were “not successful,” emphasizing a strategic military response against terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Channel News Asia.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence confirmed that their air forces participated in targeted strikes, which were coordinated with U.S. Central Command. The strikes aimed at groups responsible for recent drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, following a series of heightened tensions involving drone interceptions in the region. Saudi Arabia stated it would respond to aggression, stressing that it does not seek escalation, due to the perception of ongoing threats from Iran-backed militias, as reported by Reuters and CBS News.

The strikes followed a perceived increase in drone assaults against both U.S. forces and crucial Saudi oil sites within the preceding days. CENTCOM underscored that the strikes were necessary for self-defense, pointing to a broader advisory for Iran to halt its operations via proxies or face further military responses from the U.S. and its allies, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and CBS News.