Iraq's prime minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency meeting of the Coordination Framework, the Alliance of Shia parties that forms his parliamentary majority, at the government palace on Wednesday 29 July to address what his office called "American-Saudi aggressions" against Iraqi sovereignty1. Iraq's National Security Council called the strikes "a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands"2.
Then came the part that costs something. Al-Zaidi cancelled his first official visit to Saudi Arabia, scheduled for Thursday 30 July3. The same day, the National Security Council directed the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to move through international and regional channels to stop further strikes on Iraqi territory4.
Baghdad had spent the previous week arguing the opposite case to Tehran's allies, insisting it "will not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against neighbouring countries". Riyadh's account of the drones fired at its oil infrastructure on 27 July puts al-Zaidi between two constituencies at once: a Saudi investment relationship built since 2021, and armed factions inside his own security apparatus that reject the attribution outright. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the umbrella name Iran-aligned militias use for operations against American forces, said a military response against US targets was "inevitable" and could extend to American assets based in Saudi Arabia5.
Al-Zaidi can put the Riyadh trip back in the diary next month, whereas an expelled ambassador or a review of the American troop presence could not be undone quietly. Al-Zaidi has spent the cheapest thing he owns, which tells you he expects to need the expensive ones later.
