A Saudi official source said Friday that the recent airstrike targeted the capabilities of an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that had threatened the Kingdom's security and attacked its civilian and critical economic facilities.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday that it had carried out precision strikes against militia targets inside Iraq linked to attacks on the Kingdom's oil facilities, in coordination with the US Central Command.
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia remains committed to its relationship with Iraq, both its government and its people, stressing that the airstrike was not directed against either. The source said the operation was a precise and limited response carried out only after all diplomatic and political measures had been exhausted and after the Kingdom had exercised the utmost restraint over recent months.
The official said the response was limited to militia military depots and was directly linked to attacks targeting Saudi territory and its critical infrastructure and oil facilities. The source added that the terrorist militia harms Iraq's interests and its relations with Arab and Islamic countries by turning Iraqi territory and resources into a platform for aggression against neighboring states.
The official also said attempts by parties inside and outside Iraq to inflame sectarian tensions would not deceive prudent Iraqis or the Iraqi people, describing them as actors that do not want Iraq to pursue rapprochement that would strengthen its security and stability.
