TEHRAN, 29 JULY (DNA) — US and Saudi Arabian forces said they struck “Iran-aligned terrorists” 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.
Crude oil prices leapt more than four per cent as the fresh Middle East flare-up revived fears over global supplies usually shipped through the pivotal Strait of Hormuz. The US military said US and Saudi forces carried out precision strikes against “Iran-aligned terrorists” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure”.
“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” it said. “The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response,” it added.
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 on 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”. — DNA
