Iraqi militia umbrella group says ‘postpones’ retaliation against US forces
Baghdad: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias, has said it had postponed a planned retaliation against US and Saudi forces.
A statement by the group said the decision was in response to calls from Shiite political leaders.
The group had demanded the Iraqi government take firm diplomatic or security action regarding joint US-Saudi airstrikes on July 29, which targeted sites of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite militias, leaving 20 dead.
The group had previously threatened to launch retaliatory attacks if the government failed to adopt an official stance against the strikes. A deadline it set expired on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.
Saudi Arabia said on July 27 that it intercepted drones launched from Iraq that attempted to target its oil facilities.
Saudi Arabia responded by launching the airstrikes along with the United States, which has long sought to curb pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck several logistics and weapons sites used by the groups, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) had said. It described the operation as a response to aerial attacks conducted over the previous 72 hours under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CENTCOM had not identified the groups targeted or disclosed the locations of the strikes beyond saying they occurred across eastern Iraq. It also provided no information about casualties or the extent of damage caused by the operation.
CENTCOM had said Iran-aligned militias in Iraq had attempted more than 600 attacks against US citizens and facilities between February and April 2026.
Iraq said no evidence had been provided to prove the drone attacks on Saudi soil were launched from Iraqi territory.