On July 28, 2026, the US and Saudi Arabia launched joint airstrikes against Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces in eastern Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. The strikes responded to over 30 drone attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities and followed an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile barrage aimed at US forces in Jordan. The escalation shattered a brief pause in hostilities intended to facilitate negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran subsequently halted three oil tankers.
US-Saudi joint strikes in Iraq
- ▪US and Saudi fighter aircraft conducted joint airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq on July 28, 2026
- ▪Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate drone attacks and called an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security
- ▪The Popular Mobilisation Forces condemned the US-Saudi airstrikes as a dangerous escalation and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty
- ▪The Popular Mobilisation Forces stated that the US-Saudi airstrikes killed at least 20 of its members and wounded 32 others across multiple Iraqi provinces
Iranian missile barrage interception
- ▪US Central Command intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile barrage launched on July 28, 2026, targeting US forces in the Middle East, including a base in Jordan
- ▪Jordanian air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran on July 29, 2026
Iran-backed militia drone attacks
- ▪Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraq targeting petroleum facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Province on July 28, 2026
- ▪The Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied launching the drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, calling the kingdom's claims fabrications
Strait of Hormuz oil disruption
- ▪Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have struck and halted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on July 29, 2026, for allegedly ignoring warnings
- ▪Global oil prices rose on July 29, 2026, with Brent crude increasing to around $87.70 per barrel following the escalation of hostilities
- ▪The US military paused its nightly strikes on Iran from July 24, 2026, to allow negotiations regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Domestic political pressure on Trump
- ▪US President Donald Trump faced domestic political pressure ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections due to high gasoline prices and an unpopular war
- ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on July 28, 2026, to discuss the ongoing conflict
- ▪At least 624 US military service members have been wounded since President Donald Trump ordered strikes against Iran in February 2026
Houthi Red Sea shipping threats
- ▪The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a commercial tanker heard explosions while traveling in the southern Red Sea
- ▪Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal in the Red Sea as part of a maritime blockade
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