Iran live updates: US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, CENTCOM says

The strikes were a response to recent militia attacks on Saudi Arabia.

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.

Jordan's official Petra news agency said the country's air defenses shot down five missiles fired from Iran on Wednesday morning.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday posted a statement to X condemning what it called "reprehensible drone attacks carried out against the Kingdom by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and reaffirming the Kingdom's determination to deter the perpetrators and its right to respond."

The statement said that the joint U.S.-Saudi strikes "were undertaken in the exercise." The ministry added that Riyadh "does not seek escalation," but "should it be subjected to any further attacks, it will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its citizens and national assets."

The ministry posted the statement hours after U.S. and Saudi forces launched airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The strikes were a response to three days of attacks on Saudi energy sites launched from inside Iraq.

The Saudi ministry said it was "exerting every effort to help de-escalate tensions in the region in a manner that preserves its security and stability."

"These Iran-backed terrorist militias chose a reckless path of escalation, in blatant violation of international law, in disregard of the obligations of Islamic brotherhood, including adherence to the principles of good neighborliness," it added.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia carried out “precision strikes” inside Iraq targeting Iran-backed proxy groups, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, a move that comes in response to the attacks on Saudi energy sites from inside Iraq over the last three days.

"U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours," CENTCOM said in a statement.

The strikes were carried out against "Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure," CENTCOM said.

The U.S. inte