Saudi Arabia and the US have carried out strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, in a potential escalation of the Middle East conflict. US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes were against "Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure". Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which is dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, said at least 20 of its members had been killed in US-Saudi strikes on its bases. He said Saudi Arabia, under its "right to self-defence", had responded by conducting strikes "against specific targets belonging to those militias". Iran's foreign ministry also condemned the strikes on Iraq, saying they were a "gross violation" of international law.