U.S. and Saudi Warplanes Strike Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq, Killing at Least 20, as Trump Says It Is 'Our Turn to Hit Them'

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it fired ballistic missiles at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a hub for U.S. forces in the region, on July 29, 2026. Jordan's military said five missiles were intercepted and destroyed, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Overnight, American and Saudi fighter aircraft struck logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq in response to what Saudi Arabia said were militia drone attacks on its oil facilities. Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded; two Iraqi militia officials said six Iranian advisers also died, while an Iranian provincial official put that figure at four. Asked about the day's events, Trump said, "we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them."

The exchange broke several days of relative calm in a five-month conflict and drew a formal objection from a nominal U.S. partner. The office of Iraqi President Nizar Amidi called the airstrikes "a blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty," and Iraq's National Security Council said they were carried out while its government was still in contact with the Saudi and American sides. Brent crude rose 7.3% to $88.093 a barrel.

A regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said mediators were "still trying with both sides" to restore a ceasefire that collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz. A visit to Saudi Arabia by Iraq's prime minister scheduled for July 30 was postponed indefinitely.