U.S. and Saudi Forces Strike Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq

The military campaign arrives in the wake of Iranian missile strikes targeting American assets in Jordan and other strategic locations. By aligning with the United States, Saudi Arabia has effectively abandoned its posture of cautious neutrality, raising the prospect of a broader sectarian conflict between the Sunni-majority kingdom and Shi'ite Iran.

Iraqi officials have formally denounced the strikes, characterizing the intervention as a violation of sovereignty and calling for an emergency summit to contain the fallout. As the Strait of Hormuz remains a primary point of friction, the immediate economic instability signals that markets are bracing for a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies.