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Iran war: US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed Iraqi militias
The US military said it thwarted an "attempted surprise attack" by Iran that came after a days-long lull in fighting. Meanwhile, Israel's Netanyahu hailed an "excellent" meeting with Trump. Follow DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Huy1 Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know US military says Iranian ballistic missiles intercepted The confrontation comes after a days-long lull in fighting US, Saudi Arabia announce striking Iranian-backed militias in Iraq Netanyahu hails his White House meeting with Trump despite tensions Read below for the latest developments concerning the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday, July 29, 2026:
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07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 Venezuela protests after Araghchi's remarks Venezuela has summoned Iran's ambassador in Caracas to protest what it described as "disparaging and inappropriate" remarks about the country's institutions and authorities.
The Foreign Ministry said Ambassador Ali Chegini was handed a formal note of protest on Tuesday. While Venezuelan diplomats did not specify what prompted the move, the complaint appears to relate to recent remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about negotiations with the United States.
"This is not Venezuela, where they take one person and everyone else gets scared and backs down," Araghchi said, apparently referring to the US capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the subsequent shift in relations between Caracas and Washington.
Venezuela demanded "an end to any reference or comparison that undermines the dignity, sovereignty, institutions or reputation of Venezuela," the ministry said on Telegram.
Venezuelans want elections — but when will they get them? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Relations between Tehran and Caracas have been particularly close since the presidency of the late Hugo Chavez, with both governments united by their opposition to the United States.
Iran was one of the main allies of Nicolas Maduro's government, particularly during Venezuela's fuel shortages in 2020, when Caracas turned to Tehran for petrol.
Maduro is now being held in New York after his capture in Caracas on January 3. Under acting President Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela and the US have restored diplomatic ties and continued to move closer in recent months.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 US, Saudi forces hit Iran-aligned targets in Iraq The US military says it has carried out precision strikes with Saudi forces against Iran-aligned militants in eastern Iraq.
US and Saudi fighter jets hit several weapons storage and logistics sites, US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said on X.
CENTCOM said the operation followed more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours. The US military accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directing the strikes against US troops and Saudi energy infrastructure.
CENTCOM said the attacks on American forces failed.
Earlier, CENTCOM said it had thwarted an attempted Iranian "surprise attack" involving several ballistic missiles fired at US forces in the Middle East.
All the missiles were intercepted, the US military said. While CENTCOM did not identify their intended target, US news outlet Axios reported that they were heading towards a US military base in Jordan.
The attack came despite President Donald Trump 's announcement that US strikes on Iran had been paused to give negotiations more time.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 IRGC fires missiles at US bases in Jordan Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired several ballistic missiles toward a US air base and Central Command center in Jordan on Wednesday morning.
It said the attack was in retaliation for US actions against Iranian interests.
"As long as threats against the Islamic Republic continue and the unlawful and hostile actions of US forces against our interests persist, resistance will also continue," the IRGC told Iranian state media.
"Threats by US officials and unlawful interference against our interests must come to an end."
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 Iraq's PMF militia says US, Saudi strike 'killed, injured many' Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-aligned umbrella of militias , said the US and Saudi Arabia struck its facilities across Iraq on Wednesday.
The PMF said the strike targeted its headquarters in Basra, killing and injuring a number of people it did not specify.
The PMF said the strikes were a "highly dangerous escalation" and violated Iraq's sovereignty.
The US has blamed Iran-backed militias in Iraq for recent strikes on American troops in the region and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Defense Ministry stressed in a statement on X its "right to self defense."
"The kingdom stresses it does not seek escalation but it will respond to any aggression it faces," the statement read.
07/29/2026 July 29, 2026 US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed militants in Iraq The US military said it conducted alongside Saudi Arabia a series of strikes on Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeting Iraqi militias were in retaliation for strikes on US troops in the region and Saudi energy infrastructure by "Iran-aligned terrorists" in Iraq.
"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," the US military's Central Command said.
CENTCOM said the latest strikes against Saudi Arabia, which ended a days-long lull in fighting, were directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US mi...
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