AdvertisementWashington and Riyadh said they had jointly struck Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi oil targets. AdvertisementThe United States launched its first airstrikes in the Middle East since suspending its bombing campaign last week. It was the first time during the war that Saudi Arabia had publicly declared its participation in joint strikes alongside the United States. Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government, one of the few in the world to maintain close military and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the United States, called an emergency meeting. The United States has been telling ships to use a route near the Omani shore rather than sailing close to Iran.