Saudi Arabia joins the war and launches an attack with the USA against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq

BarcelonaTensions in the Middle East are rising again. Early Wednesday morning, 20 members of the pro-Iranian militia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed and 32 more were injured in an attack launched by Saudi Arabia and the United States against several of their headquarters in Iraq. This is Riyadh's most evident involvement in the war between Tehran and Washington, which began on February 28th, and could lead to a new escalation in the region. Specifically, Riyadh, together with Washington, bombed the PMF's general headquarters in the provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala.

The pro-Iranian formation explained that, as of now, the death and injury tolls are still preliminary, pending reports that will assess and confirm all personal and material damages to the PMF. As for the Iraqi government, it has so far only reacted by convening an urgent meeting of its national security council. According to the official Iraqi news agency, INA, details on the decisions they will adopt in this regard will be communicated after the meeting.

For its part, the United States Central Command emphasizes that Wednesday's attack is a response to more than thirty coordinated drone attacks directed by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard against U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure in the last 72 hours.