At least 10 killed in US-Saudi strikes in Iraq: PMF sources

BAGHDAD: At least 10 members of an Iraqi former paramilitary alliance were killed in US-Saudi strikes on their bases in the country, two alliance sources told AFP.

The strikes hit positions belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), “across several provinces, with the deadliest attack in Nineveh province, where at least 10 members were killed,” an official said, adding that the toll will likely rise.

Injuries were reported in other provinces, he added. Another official confirmed the initial toll.

Earlier, US and Saudi Arabian forces said they struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for recent attacks, following a short pause in Iran war hostilities.

The combined air operation came as President Donald Trump met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington for their first in-person talks since the Middle East war began in late February.

Strikes by US and Saudi fighter planes hit logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq belonging to “Iran-aligned terrorists”, the US military said.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said the “terrorist militias loyal to Iran” were linked to attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities.

A days-long pause in hostilities ended late Tuesday, when US forces reported intercepting missiles launched by Iran at American bases in the Gulf.

‘Full control’

Washington had said the cessation in fighting was aimed at kickstarting a new round of negotiations, including over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s IRGC said Wednesday it attacked and stopped three tankers in the strait, maintaining it has “full control” of the waterway.

Trump hosted Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday for closed-door talks that the administration described as “positive and productive”.

The discussions lasted for about an hour and a half and took place while Netanyahu and Trump seek to patch over public disagreements on the war.

Netanyahu said in a video message after the meeting that it was “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with the president of the United States” and that it touched on “our common goal: ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.”

Trump said only that the pair had a “very good meeting.”

Israel has not taken part in the recent round of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which flared earlier this month as an April ceasefire collapsed.