A report Wednesday morning indicated that the United States and Saudi Arabia have conducted joint airstrikes against Iran-backed targets in Iraq. The report described the Iranian regime as 'the head of the snake' and asserted that the moderate Arab world recognizes this reality. The development follows earlier joint strikes reported by The Zioneer overnight, which hit seven Hashd al-Shaabi militia positions, killing at least 10 operatives.
A Wednesday morning report described the Iranian regime as 'the head of the snake,' asserting that the moderate Arab world recognizes this reality, as joint US-Saudi airstrikes against Iran-backed targets in Iraq continue. The characterization comes as the operation enters its second phase, with the thread of events escalating rapidly through the night.
The first reports at 05:51 Jerusalem were unverified, citing a single source on a command post attack in Basra. Within the same hour, Hashd al-Shaabi confirmed its Basra operations headquarters was struck at 02:00, alongside strikes in Wasit and Nineveh plains. The militia then officially acknowledged the US-Saudi strikes, calling them a 'very dangerous escalation' and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, while still assessing casualties. By 05:51, Hashd al-Shaabi announced at least 20 operatives killed and 32 wounded. The Zioneer's earlier reporting at 05:22 Jerusalem covered the US military's announcement of the joint strikes, and a subsequent report at 08:33 Jerusalem detailed hits on seven militia positions, with at least 10 killed, as a response to over 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and American assets in the preceding 72 hours.
As The Zioneer has reported, the strikes follow a pattern of escalating Iranian aggression through proxies, including IRGC-directed drone attacks on Saudi energy facilities. The involvement of the Saudi Air Force marks a shift from defensive interception to offensive kinetic action, consistent with the broader regional coalition preparations reported by The Zioneer on July 25, which included joint US-Israel-Gulf operation planning. The Iranian regime's characterization as 'head of the snake' aligns with longstanding Israeli and Western framing of the threat.
The full scope of the operation remains unclear, including whether further strikes are planned. Hashd al-Shaabi's casualty figures may still rise, and the Iraqi government's response to the sovereignty violation is pending. The militia's potential retaliatory capabilities have not been assessed.
3 developments
- DevelopingHananel Aviv: Iraqi Shiite Militias Join Houthis in Striking Saudi Oil Targets
- DevelopingGoldblatt: US-Saudi strikes on Iraq may have followed Netanyahu request for deterrence
- DevelopingPro-Iranian channel claims strike on US air base in Saudi Arabia launched from Yemen
- DevelopingShiite sources claim downing of multiple US drones over Iraq overnight
Source and signal
- Open-source intake