US-Saudi strikes test Iraq's balancing act between Riyadh and Tehran

US-Saudi strikes test Iraq's balancing act between Riyadh and Tehran Submitted by Zahra Ladha on Tue, 08/04/2026 - 10:28 The attacks complicate Baghdad’s efforts to reform security and attract foreign investment Members of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) stand guard outside the Basra Operations Command headquarters, following US-Saudi air strikes in Basra, Iraq on 29 July 2026 (Reuters) Off The unprecedented joint US - Saudi strikes on Iran -linked militias in Iraq last week have done more than raise the prospect of retaliation. They have exposed the fragile foundations of Baghdad's effort to balance closer ties with Riyadh and Washington while containing powerful armed groups aligned with Tehran, potentially forcing Iraq to make difficult choices that it has long sought to avoid. On 29 July, US and Saudi forces launched joint strikes on bases belonging to Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), killing at least 20 members of the paramilitary and four advisers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Iraqi and Iranian media.