US, Saudi airstrikes kill at least 20 Iraqi armed group members, NYT reports

BAGHDAD, Iraq — US and Saudi warplanes struck positions belonging to armed factions in Iraq before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people, the New York Times reported. The groups are Iran-backed and have refused to disarm, presenting themselves as forces defending Iraq's sovereignty. Muhammad al-Tamimi, commander of the Waad al-Siddq group, said in a statement that "the era of blood being spilled with impunity is over" and warned of retaliation. Political circles in Baghdad described the strikes as uncoordinated with the government and ineffective, according to the report. Washington has been increasing pressure on Baghdad to disarm Iran-aligned formations. A US-Israel-Iran war that began in February has turned Iraq into one of the battlegrounds of a broader regional conflict. The armed factions have used political parties, cabinet seats and investment contracts over the years to consolidate their economic and political influence, the New York Times wrote. The groups gave the government until Thursday or Friday, saying they would otherwise take the matter into their own hands. Renad Mansour, a researcher at Chatham House, said Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has tightened its control over the factions in recent months.