Iraq denies Trump’s claim of prior knowledge of US-Saudi strikes

The Iraqi government said on Thursday it had no prior knowledge of the US and Saudi strikes on positions of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group that includes Iran-backed armed factions, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that the operation had been coordinated with Baghdad.

Government spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi said in a media interview that the government “had no knowledge of the strikes and did not give approval to any party to carry out these attacks”.

He stressed that the government “will not allow Iraqi territory to become a stage for military operations without its knowledge and without the approval of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces”.

The PMF said on Wednesday that 20 of its members, including Iranians, were killed in the US-Saudi strikes, which targeted several locations across Iraq.

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Trump said the strikes “were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government”, according to a Fox News correspondent.

Al-Aboudi also announced the suspension of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia following the strikes, which came after Riyadh said it had intercepted attacks targeting energy facilities and blamed armed groups in Iraq.

The escalation comes amid increasing US pressure on Baghdad to bring Iran-backed armed factions under state control. Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to address the issue since taking office in mid-May, a move welcomed by Washington.

Iran-backed factions within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq alliance denied targeting Saudi Arabia. In a statement, they warned that their “response to the American enemy is inevitable and may also reach its tools in Saudi Arabia if circumstances require it.”

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