Iraq's Ministerial Council for National Security approved a comprehensive plan to reinforce state authority after coordinated U.S.-Saudi airstrikes hit Popular Mobilization Forces positions in several provinces. At least 20 PMF members were killed and 32 wounded.
The emergency meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. The council condemned the attacks and said they occurred while Baghdad was engaging the parties to examine concerns raised by the United States and Saudi Arabia over strikes on Saudi territory.
The Foreign Ministry was instructed to document the incident and pursue Iraq's rights through international law and the United Nations Charter. The decision places the diplomatic response alongside immediate security measures rather than leaving retaliation to armed factions.
The council declared that responding to attacks on Iraqi territory is the exclusive responsibility of the government and constitutional institutions. It also urged all parties to avoid further escalation and reaffirmed the goal of keeping Iraq outside regional conflicts.
State control over weapons forms a central part of the new plan. The council repeated that arms must remain exclusively under Iraqi authority, a demand that directly affects the relationship between formal security institutions and the multiple factions operating inside the PMF umbrella.
Iraq also maintained the timetable for implementing the agreement that governs the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international coalition by the end of September. The combination of foreign strikes and the planned departure increases pressure on Baghdad to manage security without becoming a battlefield for competing regional powers.
U.S. Central Command said U.S. and Saudi forces carried out precision strikes against Iran-aligned militants after drone attacks targeted American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. The PMF is state-sponsored and was formally integrated into Iraq's armed forces after the campaign against the Islamic State group, making the strikes a direct test of Baghdad's command and sovereignty.
