Tehran, July 30 (ANI): A coordinated military operation by the United States and Saudi Arabia targeted multiple locations in Iraq, killing at least four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian state media.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that four IRGC personnel—identified as Ali Asghar Astaneh, Abolfazl Motaqi, Morteza Akbari, and Amir Abbas Darhamforoush—were killed during overnight airstrikes in Iraq’s northern Diyala province.
The report said all four were from Kashan in central Iran but did not provide details about their operational roles.
Al Jazeera, citing Iranian sources, also reported that four IRGC-affiliated individuals were killed in the joint operation.
Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing an unnamed US official, reported that approximately 20 Iranian advisers, including technical experts and IRGC personnel, were killed in the strikes.
According to the official, the targeted sites were selected because of the presence of Iranian advisers, with the objective of disrupting the ability of Iran-aligned militias to launch missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
In Iraq, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others were wounded in strikes across seven provinces, including Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Basra.
Confirming the operation, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the joint mission targeted logistics and weapons facilities across eastern Iraq.
CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after more than 30 drone attacks over a 72-hour period, which it alleged were directed by the IRGC against US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
The operation followed statements from Saudi Arabia confirming that its air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed multiple drones targeting oil facilities in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. Saudi authorities blamed Iran-aligned groups operating from Iraqi territory for the attacks.
The Iraqi government criticized the military action. According to the Iraqi News Agency, Iraq’s National Security Council described the strikes as “an unacceptable aggression” and said they occurred while Iraqi officials were engaged in discussions with US and Saudi representatives regarding the country’s security situation.
While President Donald Trump said the strikes were conducted in coordination with Iraqi authorities, the Iraqi government rejected any actions it said undermine the country’s sovereignty. (ANI)
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