The United States and Saudi Arabia executed a coordinated military strike against Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, marking the first US military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump halted the bombing campaign against Iran the previous week.
In response, Iran rejected an Omani-mediated proposal for shared regional oversight of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Tehran also confirmed it had targeted vessels passing through the strait and launched attacks on American military bases in Jordan.
This resurgence of conflict, coupled with the breakdown of diplomatic efforts, triggered a rise in oil prices for the first time in over a week, signaling that the confrontation—which began in February with a US and Israeli campaign—shows no signs of abating soon.
Footage broadcast by Iraq’s Al-Ahad TV showed mourners in Mosul carrying the bodies of fallen fighters from a hospital, as crowds chanted Shia religious slogans alongside anti-American slogans.
US and Saudi officials stated the joint strike targeted Iran-backed factions in retaliation for earlier drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities launched from Iraqi territory.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a powerful coalition of Iran-backed paramilitary groups integrated into the Iraqi security forces, reported at least 20 members killed and 32 wounded in the US-Saudi strikes on multiple bases across Iraq.
This operation was the first significant US military action in the Middle East since last Friday, when Trump abruptly ended an intensive bombing campaign after 13 days, following advice from commanders that the strategy had reached its limits.
Notably, this was also the first instance during the conflict where Saudi Arabia publicly acknowledged its participation alongside the US in joint strikes. This development could broaden the conflict by involving Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia directly against Shiite proxies of Iran on a new front.
The Shiite-led Iraqi government, one of the few globally to maintain close military and diplomatic relations with both Tehran and Washington, convened an emergency meeting in response.
Washington has consistently urged Baghdad to clamp down on Iran-backed paramilitary groups, but such efforts have previously sparked domestic unrest.
The strong connections between Iran and Iraq, the two largest Shiite-majority nations, were evident this week as hundreds of thousands of Iranian pilgrims crossed the border into Iraq for an annual religious holiday, some carrying portraits of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, revered in both countries.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is also engaged on another front. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen announced a blockade of Saudi oil exports in the Red Sea last week and has attacked ships and oil infrastructure.
Hours before the joint US-Saudi attacks in Iraq, the US military reported that its air defenses successfully thwarted a surprise Iranian attack on US forces in the region.
Jordan’s military intercepted and shot down five Iranian missiles. Three of the four US service members killed this month died in Jordan, where US bases have become primary targets for Iranian strikes.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated they fired several ballistic missiles at US military installations in Jordan and attacked three tankers attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz via unauthorized routes.
In a significant development, Tehran dismissed the Omani proposal for joint regional control of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy shipping corridor. Iran aims to maintain control and collect fees from this route.
The Omani plan, supported by Gulf states, suggested voluntary service charges and joint oversight, but a senior Iranian official labeled it “unreasonable” and said a 50-50 arrangement with Oman would not benefit Iran, despite considering Oman a valuable neighbor. Iran insists on exclusive control over the inbound route and partial control over the outbound route.
The United States has advised ships to navigate closer to Omani waters rather than near Iran. The Revolutionary Guards Navy declared it continues to assert full control over the strait and will respond to any “unlawful US military interference.”
The renewed hostilities pushed oil prices up 4.6%, with Brent crude futures trading near $88 per barrel at 1030 GMT. Prices had briefly surged above $100 last week—the first time since May—before falling into the mid-80s earlier this week after Trump ended the bombing campaign.
