Iraqi premier orders emergency security meeting after Saudi-US airstrikes
Following overnight strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Ali al-Zaidi convenes emergency National Security Council meeting; detailed statement expected after session
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Wednesday ordered an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security following overnight Saudi-US airstrikes on the country, the Security Media Cell said.
In a statement, the Security Media Cell said al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, instructed the council to convene urgently in response to "security developments and the aerial bombardment the country was subjected to at dawn today."
It said a detailed statement outlining the developments and decisions taken during the meeting would be issued afterward.
The move came after the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said US and Saudi forces carried out joint precision strikes against Iranian-aligned groups in Iraq, claiming the operation targeted sites linked to attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
According to CENTCOM, US and Saudi fighter jets struck multiple logistics and weapons facilities in eastern Iraq in response to more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the previous 72 hours.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a predominantly Iranian-backed coalition of Shiite armed groups, said several of its headquarters were hit in the strikes, resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage.
