The joint strikes on Iraq's security forces have sparked political backlash, according to RT's Ali Rida Sbeity

Joint US-Saudi strikes on alleged Iran-aligned militia positions across Iraq have sparked political backlash, with Baghdad condemning the attacks as a violation of the country's sovereignty. RT's Ali Rida Sbeity reported on the ground.

The strikes targeted positions of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in seven provinces, according to Iraqi officials, with the group saying at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded. Washington and Riyadh said they had targeted Iran-linked militants in response to a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities, a claim denied by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

The PMF is formally part of Iraq's security structure, meaning the strikes are being treated "not as simple attacks on armed factions, but as attacks on institutions belonging to the Iraqi state," Sbeity said.

Tensions deepened after US President Donald Trump claimed the strikes had been coordinated with Baghdad. "That stands in sharp contrast to the public Iraqi position, which describes the strike as a violation of sovereignty," Sbeity added.

The current escalation comes after a brief pause in direct US attacks on Iran-linked targets. Earlier this week, Tehran launched missiles at US military installations in Jordan in its first regional attack since fighting subsided.

READ MORE: Saudis join US strikes on 'Iran-aligned militias' in Iraq (VIDEOS)

Former IRGC commander Hossein Kanani Moghaddam has warned that the strikes would prompt a coordinated response from Iran and its regional allies. "An attack on Iraq is considered an attack on Iran due to the strategic bond between Iran and Iraq," he told RT.

Ahmed Al-Shahri, head of the Saudi Experience Forum, described the attacks on Saudi Arabia's strategic infrastructure as crossing a "red line."

The US-Saudi strikes have "once again" placed Iraq at the center of a wider regional confrontation that Baghdad has "repeatedly tried to avoid," Sbeity said.