Washington, DC, July 29 (ANI): US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces on Tuesday carried out joint precision strikes in eastern Iraq, targeting Iran-aligned terrorist groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly directed to attack American personnel and critical energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said US and Saudi fighter jets struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks launched within a 72-hour period.
“U.S. Central Command and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces conducted precision strikes in Iraq, July 28, against Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. The unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful,” CENTCOM said.
Highlighting what it described as a continuing security threat in the region, CENTCOM said that “from February through April 2026, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq.”
CENTCOM warned that the IRGC and its proxy groups must immediately halt the attacks to avoid further US military action.
Saudi Arabia also confirmed the joint operation. In a statement posted on X, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, said Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple drones launched from Iraqi territory that were aimed at vital petroleum facilities in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province and the Riyadh region.
Al-Maliki said the military action was conducted in accordance with the “right to self-defense” under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
He added that the Saudi Armed Forces, in coordination with CENTCOM, carried out targeted strikes against militia positions in Iraq that were directly linked to the cross-border attacks, reaffirming the Kingdom’s “legitimate right to defend itself and its capabilities, while reserving the right to respond at the appropriate time and place.”
The operation followed several explosions that struck Erbil in northern Iraq early Tuesday, including areas near the US Consulate, as Iranian drones targeted multiple locations across the region.
Citing police sources, Al Jazeera reported that at least four Iranian drones targeted locations in the Khalifan and Soran areas of northern Iraq, northeast of Erbil.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing Iraqi sources, also reported that an American drone was destroyed in Al Anbar province. Local media published images showing the wreckage of a US drone near the Haditha Dam.
The strikes coincided with broader military activity across northern and western Iraq. IRIB also reported that the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah was attacked. (ANI)
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