Iraq sets up military command to curb attacks on Saudi Arabia
A funeral ceremony held for members of Iraqi and Iranian Shia fighters who were killed in US-Saudi airstrikes on 30 July 2026. [Getty]
Iraq has established a new military operations command to strengthen security near its southern borders following a spate of attacks by Iran-aligned militia against Saudi Arabia, Iraqi sources told The New Arab.
The sources said the formation of the Al-Badiya Operations Command covers its southern desert region and is part of a security response aimed at preventing Iraqi territory being used to attack neighbouring countries.
It also seeks to prevent any external retaliation for such attacks from turning into strikes inside Iraqi territory, which could exacerbate the country’s dire security situation, they said.
Iraq’s porous southern border runs through the vast expanses of the remote Al-Muthanna desert. Controlling the area requires advanced reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities and a continuous security presence to detect illegal activity in remote areas and along desert roads.
Monitoring these areas is not a new measure for Iraq’s security agencies. Iraqi forces have previously conducted operations aimed at preventing the use of desert areas for infiltration, smuggling, or armed movements.
Closing security gaps
Military sources told The New Arab that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s directive came after intelligence reports indicated security gaps that armed groups had exploited to evade security agencies.
They said that groups have been able to transport drones and launchers to the area and use it to stage cross-border attacks.
These measures gained additional importance in late July, when Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against targets in Iraq that Riyadh said had attacked Saudi oil facilities.
The announcement of the command comes just a few days after al-Zaidi pledged to clamp down on the attacks during discussions with Saudi general intelligence chief Khaled al-Humaidan.
The military sources said Al-Badiya’s establishment is consistent with al-Zaidi’s move to disarm non-state groups, especially the network of powerful Iran-linked Shiite militia known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Several factions, including Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have rejected calls to surrender their weapons ahead of the prime minister’s 30 September deadline.