Iraq's Coordination Framework meets on US-Saudi airstrikes on Hashd al-Shaabi bases

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Coordination Framework convened Wednesday evening under Prime Minister Ali Fallah al-Zaydi to address US-Saudi airstrikes that targeted Hashd al-Shaabi bases in several cities, including Baghdad and Kirkuk. Al-Zaydi presented a briefing on the strikes at the session, according to local media reports. The meeting reviewed a proposal to file a protest note with the International Court of Justice aimed at safeguarding Iraqi sovereignty. Construction and Development Alliance leader Ali Hussein al-Fatlawi said the government's response to the attack had been insufficient and called on the Coordination Framework to adopt a unified ideological, political and national stance. Nasr Alliance spokesperson Salam al-Zubaydi said it was unacceptable to treat Hashd al-Shaabi members as armed militants, adding that the bloc would at least support filing a formal complaint with the UN Security Council on the diplomatic track. A scheduled visit by al-Zaydi to Saudi Arabia on Thursday was canceled, a move seen as a firm message to Riyadh. Separately, Iraq's National Security Council held an emergency session chaired by al-Zaydi in his capacity as commander of the armed forces, condemning the strikes and instructing the Foreign Ministry to document the incident internationally. The developments came after Saudi Arabia accused "Iraqi militias" linked to Iran.