BAGHDAD (Dispatches) -- In a brazen violation of Iraqi sovereignty, U.S.-Saudi warplanes launched widespread airstrikes across seven Iraqi provinces in the early hours of July 29, targeting Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) positions and killing at least 20 resistance fighters, including four Iranian advisors.
The unprovoked aggression, which struck sites in Baghdad, Basra, Nineveh, Wasit, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala, came minutes after U.S, envoy Tom Barrack delivered a threatening ultimatum to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi—who was returning from Turkiye—demanding that Iraq rein in its resistance factions or face military consequences.
The attacks, publicly claimed by Saudi Arabia in coordination with U.S. Central Command, were justified by flimsy allegations that drones targeting the kingdom’s energy infrastructure had originated from Iraqi territory. 
Yet to this day, Washington and Riyadh have presented zero evidence to back their claims. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) has firmly rejected the accusations as “fabrications,” and Iraqi intelligence has been unable to verify any such operations. 
The strikes were nothing more than an act of state terrorism designed to punish Iraq for its independent stance and its support for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance.
Despite the aggression, Iraq’s resistance factions remain unbowed. Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and other proud fighting forces have made clear that their weapons are a “red line” and a sacred trust that will not be surrendered. 
The September 30 deadline for disarmament, imposed under U.S. pressure, will not break their resolve. As Nujaba Secretary-General Sheikh Akram al-Kaabi has declared, the resistance’s arms are non-negotiable.
Iran’s IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani visited Baghdad on August 10 and coordinated a unified position: no surrender of weapons, but no confrontation with the state. This prudent strategy ensures that Iraq’s resistance remains intact while avoiding internal conflict that would only serve the Zionist-U.S. agenda.
The resistance has also demonstrated its capacity for innovation and adaptation. New cells have emerged from within the factions, operating independently to strike at U.S. and Zionist interests across the region.
These groups, armed with advanced drones and technology, have proven that Iraq’s resistance cannot be crushed by foreign bombs or political pressure. They operate in the shadows, ensuring that the fight against occupation and aggression continues unabated.
Washington’s financial blackmail—threatening to cut Iraq’s access to its oil revenues held in New York—only exposes the depths of U.S. imperialist arrogance. 
Iraq will not bow to coercion. The resistance stands with Palestine, stands with Lebanon, and stands against the Zionist-U.S. axis of evil. The blood of the martyrs of Ansar, Qusra, and now the PMU will not be in vain. The axis of resistance grows stronger with each atrocity, and the day of reckoning for the occupiers is approaching.