Saudi Arabia has joined the US in carrying out strikes against an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, in a potential escalation of the Middle East conflict.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes were against “Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure”.
The statement did not name the militia. However, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said at least 10 of its members had been killed.
It comes after Iran launched “multiple” ballistic missiles in an “attempted surprise attack” on American forces in the Middle East, according to Centcom. The exchange ends a brief break in US-Iran hostilities.
The US said the attack occurred at 17:45 EDT (21:45 GMT) on Tuesday, with all missiles “successfully intercepted”. Iran said it had targeted a US base in Jordan.
