Iran-backed militias in Iraq serve as tools for Tehran, says former Arab League official
Ex-Arab League assistant secretary-general Khaled Al-Habbas described recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Iraqi militias as 'strange' and ill-timed.
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Former Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the Arab League, Dr. Khaled Al-Habbas, described the recent attack by Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Saudi Arabia as "strange," especially given its timing amid a US-brokered truce and the suspension of American strikes on Iran. He noted that this period was expected to see de-escalation on all fronts.
Speaking to Al Arabiya FM, Al-Habbas said that Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Yemen, and across the region are "merely functional tools in Tehran's hands," adding that they are "two sides of the same coin."
He added that the attack reflects the continuation of Iran's approach, which "does not respect the sovereignty and security of neighboring countries," stressing that Iran uses such actions "as a tool of pressure."
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In the same context, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, stated that air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed the drones, clarifying that the attempted attacks originated from Iraqi territory.
Al-Maliki added that these terrorist attempts were carried out by Iran-affiliated militias, affirming Saudi Arabia's inherent right to defend itself and its interests, and its right to respond at the appropriate time and place.