00:00A number of bases for the Iraqi militias, the Popular Mobilization Units, otherwise known in Arabic as Qubat al-Hashd
00:13al-Shaabi.
00:15This is an Iranian-aligned proxy group armed to the teeth, based in many places in Iraq.
00:25So a number of their bases were hit. There were videos on social media showing arms depots going up in
00:34flames.
00:35The CENTCOM, the United States CENTCOM, also recent statements saying that it was a joint operation.
00:44So CENTCOM, Saudi strikes. So this is the first time we see this joint effort.
00:50And also, it's the first time Saudi Arabia goes on the record on claiming openly that we did it.
00:59Because there were strikes in the previous war against these armed militias in Iraq,
01:09which Saudi Arabia did not claim, did not say anything about.
01:15So it was released later in the newspapers that it was Saudi warplanes that struck these bases.
01:23This time, Saudi Arabia came out openly saying it was us.
01:27And this came after a number of warnings over a period of time to Iraq to restrain these militias
01:37and to stop these attacks originating from its territories by what the Saudis named as Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq.
01:50So I think Saudi Arabia found today that it's time to head back and take a step forward and do
01:59it openly.
02:00And I think this is most likely is going to invite other Gulf countries who are coming under fire from
02:06these militias also to start retaliating.
