Saudi source says Iraq strikes targeted Iran-backed militias, not Iraqi state

According to the Saudi Gazette, a senior Saudi official has confirmed that recent military strikes conducted within Iraqi territory were targeted exclusively at Iran-backed militias. The official, speaking to Al Arabiya on Friday, stated that these operations were a direct response to militia-led drone attacks against Saudi oil facilities and critical infrastructure, rather than an act of aggression against the Iraqi state or its citizens.

The Saudi official emphasized that the decision to engage in these strikes followed the exhaustion of all available diplomatic and political channels. The Kingdom maintained a policy of restraint for several months prior to the operation, according to the report. The official characterized the actions of the Iran-backed groups as a violation of Iraq's own interests and a detriment to the nation's diplomatic standing within the Arab and Islamic world.

Reaffirming the Kingdom's commitment to bilateral relations, the official stated that the strikes were limited in scope and intended only to neutralize specific military warehouses linked to the recent attacks. The statement serves as a formal clarification of Saudi Arabia's security posture in the region, aiming to distinguish between the actions of non-state actors operating within Iraq and the sovereign interests of the Iraqi government.