SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Saudi Arabia condemns attacks on US forces in Iraq
Riyadh, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2019
Saudi Arabia voiced "great concern" Tuesday over attacks against American forces in Iraq, which Washington has blamed on pro-Iran factions, state media reported.

"Saudi Arabia has followed with great concern the increase of terrorist attacks inside brotherly Iraq... the most recent of which were attacks by terrorist militias supported by the Iranian regime against US forces present in Iraq," the Saudi Press Agency said, citing an unnamed official source.

"Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces these terrorist attacks... These attacks committed by terrorist militias violate the sovereignty of Iraq and affect its security and stability."

In recent weeks multiple attacks have targeted Iraqi bases where American forces are present, which Washington has blamed on pro-Iran factions.

On Sunday, the US-led air strikes were directed at several bases belonging to the Hezbollah Brigades, one of the most radical factions of Hashed al-Shaabi, a Tehran-backed Iraqi paramilitary coalition.

The strikes "killed 25 and wounded 51," according to the Hashed, which holds major sway in Iraq.

The attack was in retaliation for the death Friday of a US civilian contractor in Kirkuk in a Hezbollah Brigades rocket attack.

Riyadh is a key ally of US President Donald Trump's administration against what both countries describe as Iranian expansionism in the Middle East.

Riyadh and Washington have blamed Iran for September 14 drone strikes that targeted two Saudi oil facilities, temporarily knocking out half of the kingdom's oil production.

In a phone call on Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "agreed that the Iranian regime and its proxies continue to be a destabilizing force in the region and that nations have a right to defend themselves in the face of these threats," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

Pompeo "underscored that attacks by the Iranian regime, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive response, as demonstrated yesterday."

Iraq's government denounced Sunday's strikes and warned they could affect ties with Washington.

burs-ac/fz


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
AI systems proposed to boost launch cadence reliability and traffic management
China debuts Long March 12A reusable rocket in Jiuquan test flight
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4750-4762: See You on the Other Side of the Sun

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Redesigned carbon framework boosts battery safety and power
Molecular catalyst switches between hydrogen and oxygen production
Project Pele microreactor reaches key milestone with first TRISO fuel delivery

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
SDA expands Tracking Layer satellite awards and related missile defense contracts
Space Systems Command activates System Delta 80 for assured space access
Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions to provide SAR reconnaissance data to German military

24/7 News Coverage
OPERA satellite data sharpens US crop and water management
Alen Space begins SATMAR satellite validation over Bay of Algeciras
Deep Arctic gas hydrate mounds host ultra deep cold seep ecosystem



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.