Rania Abushamala
30 July 2026•Update: 30 July 2026
- Statement comes after US-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq
Iraq said Thursday that no evidence has been presented to prove that attacks on Saudi territory were launched from its territory.
“No party has so far provided any evidence proving that,” Sabah Al-Numan, spokesman of the prime minister, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
He called for “evidence and proof regarding claims that attacks were launched from inside Iraq.”
His remarks came after Saudi Arabia said an attack on petroleum facilities in the kingdom originated from Iraqi territory.
“The security establishment is currently preparing a comprehensive security plan to prevent the recurrence of attacks and fully preserve Iraq’s sovereignty,” Al-Numan said.
“The official security forces are exclusively responsible for the security file and will not allow any weapons outside the framework of the state,” he added.
“The government will not allow any individual actions from inside the country and, at the same time, will not accept any violation coming from beyond the borders,” he said.
Al-Numan said Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Ali Al-Zaidi’s visit to the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, where he was briefed on attacks against its personnel in several provinces, affirmed that the group is “an integral part of the national defense system.”
The statement came after Tuesday night's precision strikes by US and Saudi forces against targets linked to Iranian-aligned groups in Iraq. CENTCOM said the operation targeted sites connected to attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia said the strikes were conducted in self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter following attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the kingdom’s petroleum facilities. Riyadh warned it would take further military action if Iran-backed groups carried out additional attacks.
The Popular Mobilization Forces, a predominantly Iran-backed coalition of Shiite armed groups, confirmed that several of its headquarters were hit in the strikes, killing at least 20 members, wounding 32, and causing extensive property damage.
Iran has condemned the strikes as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
