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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi reportedly canceled his planned visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, shelving the trip just hours after deadly U.S.-Saudi airstrikes targeted the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) across seven Iraqi provinces.
Preparations for the government delegation were suspended following the overnight strikes, which killed at least 20 PMF fighters, wounded another 32 and caused extensive property damage, according to Iraqi news outlet Shafaq.
Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya and Reuters also reported that the visit had been postponed. Iraqi authorities had not officially confirmed the postponement.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American and Saudi forces carried out joint precision strikes against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, saying the operation targeted sites linked to attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia described the operation as an act of self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter after attacks were launched from Iraqi territory against its petroleum facilities. It also warned of further military action if Iran-backed groups carried out additional attacks.
Iraq's presidency condemned the strikes after an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, calling them "an unacceptable attack and a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty, targeting its official institutions."
The presidency also rejected the use of Iraqi territory as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries.
Despite Baghdad's statement, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the bombing campaign had been coordinated with the Iraqi government. He described the militias as "a cancer on the world" and warned that additional measures against Iranian proxy groups were under consideration.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashed al-Shaabi, are a state-recognized umbrella organization comprising dozens of mostly Shiite armed factions.
The force was established in 2014 after Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani called on volunteers to help fight Daesh as the militant group swept across large parts of the country.
The group has repeatedly been targeted since the regional conflict escalated in late February. In one of the deadliest earlier incidents, a March 24 airstrike on a PMF base in Iraq's western Anbar province killed at least 15 fighters, including Anbar operations commander Saad Dawai al-Baiji, during what the group said was a commanders' meeting.
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