TEHRAN \u2013 The security situation in the Middle East has grown\nincreasingly volatile following a United States and Saudi attack on Iraq\non Wednesday (28\/7\/2026). The strike was claimed to have killed four\nmembers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an outcome that\ncould trigger a retaliatory response from Tehran.<\/p>\n
The deaths of the four IRGC members resulting from the joint\nSaudi-American attack on Iraq were reported by the semi-official Mehr\nnews agency. Al Jazeera also claimed to have seen circulating\nphotographs showing several coffins draped in flags, although there has\nbeen no official confirmation from the IRGC.<\/p>\n
Regarding the current situation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian\ncalled upon the Iranian people to \u201cfight the enemy and stand firm\nagainst them so that we do not bow to injustice and oppression\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cLikewise, we must not oppress our citizens or commit injustice\nagainst them,\u201d he was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.\nPezeshkian added that Iran had proven itself to be a \u201cunique model of\nresistance\u201d.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Iraq\u2019s National Security Council held an emergency meeting\nwith the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to discuss the US-Saudi\nattack, which killed at least 20 militiamen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe meeting affirmed the government\u2019s firm position rejecting all\nhostile acts, regardless of the perpetrator or the underlying reasons,\nand emphasised that handling and resisting such aggression is the\nabsolute responsibility of the Iraqi government,\u201d the council said in a\nstatement.<\/p>\n
The council called for \u201cthe use of diplomatic channels as a means of\nresolving disputes\u201d and stated that Iraq must \u201cstay away from regional\nconflict\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the Iraqi presidency condemned the attack as well as \u201cthe\nuse of Iraqi territory as a launch point or battlefield for attacks\nagainst neighbouring countries\u201d.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News, also stated there\nwould be a response to the attack on American military assets in Jordan\non Wednesday. \u201cWe will hit them hard; they will be struck mercilessly,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
On the same day, an unmanned aircraft struck a US-owned gas storage\ntanker at the port of Damietta in Egypt, located on the Mediterranean,\naccording to the maritime security firm Ambrey. Two gas tankers caught\nfire in Damietta, said the port services company Inchcape.<\/p>\n
Amid the escalation, armed forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council\n(GCC) took part in joint military exercises in Bahrain, according to a\nstatement from the country\u2019s Defence Force.<\/p>\n
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dhiab bin Saqr al-Nuaimi said that\nthe \u201cBahrain Shield\u201d exercise, running from 28 to 30 July, aimed to\nenhance combat readiness, improve operational planning, and strengthen\ncoordination among Gulf nations\u2019 forces.<\/p>\n
He stated that the participation of GCC armed forces \u201creflects the\ncharacter of a robust combined Gulf military power capable of\nconfronting various challenges\u201d. The exercise, he added, constitutes \u201ca\nsolid strategic foundation for military solidarity and a strong pillar\nfor unity against all forms of treacherous attack\u201d.<\/p>\n
Al-Nuaimi said the recent acts of violence in the region underscored\nthe need for collective defence. \u201cThe treacherous attacks taking place\nin this region require us to develop combined military defence\ncooperation,\u201d he added.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/middle-east-on-the-brink-of-major-war-1785347472", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }