Saudi Arabia and the US have carried out strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, in a potential escalation of the Middle East conflict. 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. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement also began launching attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and Saudi oil facilities earlier this month, saying it was retaliating for what it said were Saudi air strikes on Sanaa's airport.