United States and Saudi Arabia Strike Iraq Days Before Arbaeen

At least 20 Iraqi personnel killed as millions of worshippers travel toward Karbala

The United States and Saudi Arabia conducted joint airstrikes across Iraq overnight Tuesday, killing at least 20 members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces and wounding 32 others. The attacks occurred as millions of civilian worshippers travel toward Karbala for Arbaeen, which falls on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

United States Central Command confirmed that American and Saudi fighter aircraft struck weapons and logistics facilities on July 28. The Popular Mobilization Forces reported attacks in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala. The PMF, commonly known as the Hashd al Shaabi, operates as an official component of Iraq’s state security system.

According to the PMF, the attacks killed at least 20 personnel and wounded 32. The organization described the figures as preliminary and reported damage to buildings, vehicles, equipment, and other property.

The deadliest publicly documented attack occurred in the Nineveh Plain at approximately 3:20 a.m. Wednesday. The Nineveh PMF command said seven airstrikes hit the headquarters of the Fourth Regiment of Brigade 30 and a facility operated by the Directorate of Anti Armor Fighters. Eight Brigade 30 personnel and two Anti Armor Directorate personnel were killed. Six others were wounded.

The Nineveh command called the operation “a highly dangerous escalation” and “a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

A separate strike hit the PMF Operations Command headquarters in Basra, wounding two personnel. Iraqi authorities have not released complete information about the individual sites struck in Baghdad, Wasit, Kirkuk, Karbala, or Diyala.

United States and Saudi Arabia acknowledge responsibility

Responsibility for the airstrikes is confirmed. United States Central Command said American and Saudi forces conducted the operation together.

“United States and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq,” CENTCOM said in its official statement.

The command said the operation answered more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the preceding 72 hours. It accused armed groups in Iraq of targeting American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further United States military response,” CENTCOM said.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry separately acknowledged Saudi participation.

Major General Turki al Malki, the ministry’s official military spokesperson, said drones targeting Saudi petroleum facilities had come from Iraqi territory. He accused armed groups supported by Iran of conducting the attempted attacks.

Al Malki said Saudi Arabia reserved the right to respond “at the appropriate time and place.”

He also said the kingdom had an inherent right to defend its territory and national assets. Following the airstrikes, the Saudi Defense Ministry said the kingdom did not seek further escalation but would respond to any attack against it.

Allegations remain disputed

Iran denied directing attacks against Saudi Arabia. An Iranian military official described the accusations as a “major miscalculation.”

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also denied responsibility for the drone attacks and called the Saudi claims fabricated. Neither Washington nor Riyadh has publicly released evidence identifying the Iraqi units that allegedly launched the drones.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi had ordered an investigation into the alleged drone launches before the airstrikes occurred. Iraq said it would not permit its territory to be used for attacks against neighboring countries.

The identity of the countries that conducted the airstrikes is therefore confirmed. The allegation that the specific PMF personnel and facilities struck were responsible for the preceding drone attacks remains contested.

Iraq condemns violation of its sovereignty

The Iraqi presidency condemned the attacks as an unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and an assault on official state security institutions. The presidency called on all parties to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and refrain from actions that could threaten its security and stability. The prime minister called an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security.

President Donald Trump reportedly said the operation was coordinated with the Iraqi government. Iraqi officials have not publicly confirmed approving the strikes. The Iraqi government’s condemnation raises questions about the nature of any claimed coordination.

No individual American military commander has publicly addressed the civilian implications of conducting strikes across Iraq during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. The American military response has so far come through CENTCOM’s institutional statement.

Arbaeen pilgrims enter an expanding conflict zone

The attacks come during the final days before Arbaeen, one of the largest annual religious gatherings on earth. Arbaeen takes place on the twentieth day of Safar and marks forty days since the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680. Iraqi religious authorities have placed this year’s observance on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Pilgrims are already walking toward Karbala from Basra, Najaf, Baghdad, and other parts of Iraq. Others are entering through Iraqi airports and land crossings.

These innocent worshippers include families, children, elderly visitors, religious students, volunteers, and people with disabilities. They come from Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Gulf states, Africa, Europe, North America, and other regions. Iraqi figures show the international scale of the gathering. In 2025, more than 4.1 million foreign pilgrims from 140 countries entered Iraq for Arbaeen. Total attendance in Karbala exceeded 21 million.

More than 1.27 million foreign pilgrims had already entered Iraq during the current religious season by July 25, according to Iraqi security officials.

Volunteers operate thousands of roadside service stations that provide pilgrims with free meals, water, medical care, transportation, and places to rest. UNESCO recognizes this tradition of service and hospitality as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

One of the provinces struck was Karbala, the destination of the pilgrimage. Other affected provinces sit along routes used by worshippers traveling toward the holy city.

There is no verified evidence that the latest airstrikes deliberately targeted pilgrims or that Arbaeen worshippers were among the casualties. However, conducting military operations across several Iraqi provinces during the pilgrimage creates a serious risk of civilian harm, panic, disrupted transportation, and further escalation.

Arbaeen pilgrims are peaceful civilians participating in a religious observance with a history stretching back more than a thousand years. Governments and armed forces involved in the conflict bear responsibility for protecting worshippers and keeping pilgrimage routes, border crossings, airports, service stations, religious sites, and civilian gathering areas away from military operations.

Sources

United States Central Command: https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PUBLIC-RELEASES/Article/4558191/us-saudi-forces-strike-iran-backed-terrorist-sites-in-iraq/

Reuters on the strikes and Iraqi response: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-saudis-attack-iran-backed-groups-iraq-threatening-intensify-conflict-2026-07-29/

Reuters on the Saudi account: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-says-drones-launched-iraq-targeting-oil-facilities-intercepted-2026-07-28/

National Iraqi News Agency: https://ninanews.com/website/News/Details?key=1307903

Saudi Press Agency: https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2588234

Iraqi Arbaeen participation figures: https://imamhussain.gov.iq/index.php/english/47012

UNESCO on Arbaeen service and hospitality: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/provision-of-services-and-hospitality-during-the-arba-in-visitation-01474

Reported Strike Near Shalamcheh Raises Concerns as Millions Prepare for Arbaeen Pilgrimage

As millions of Muslims prepare to travel to Iraq for Arbaeen, reports of a strike near the Shalamcheh border crossing have raised fresh concerns about the safety of religious pilgrims entering the country.

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, citing Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Valiollah Hayati, missiles struck the area around the passenger terminal at the Shalamcheh border crossing on the Iran Iraq border. Iranian officials attributed the strike to the United States. Initial Iranian media reports stated that two people had been killed. Subsequent reporting from other outlets described conflicting casualty information, with some later reports stating that no casualties had occurred. As of publication, the casualty count has not been independently reconciled.

Regardless of the conflicting casualty reports, the reported strike has drawn attention because of its location. Shalamcheh is one of the most important border crossings used by Muslims traveling into Iraq to perform ziyarat and participate in Arbaeen. Every year, millions of pilgrims pass through the crossing on their way to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. In addition to large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, the crossing is widely used by pilgrims from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries who travel through Iran before entering Iraq.

Only days before the reported strike, Iranian and Iraqi officials announced that Shalamcheh and the country's other major border crossings had completed preparations for Arbaeen. Authorities have mobilized security personnel, medical teams, volunteers, transportation services, and humanitarian support in anticipation of one of the largest annual movements of people anywhere in the world.

Arbaeen commemorates the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. For more than one thousand years, Muslims have observed Arbaeen through peaceful acts of worship, prayer, mourning, charity, and service. Today, the pilgrimage draws tens of millions of worshippers from around the globe, making it one of the largest annual religious gatherings in history.

Many pilgrims spend days or weeks traveling to Karbala. Countless others volunteer their time to provide food, water, shelter, transportation, and medical care free of charge to fellow worshippers. Families, children, elderly pilgrims, religious scholars, humanitarian workers, and volunteers all travel the same routes through border crossings such as Shalamcheh.

The reported strike has renewed concerns about the safety of these civilians as regional hostilities continue. Pilgrims traveling to Iraq for Arbaeen are peaceful noncombatants engaged in a religious observance that has endured continuously for more than a millennium. International humanitarian law requires parties to armed conflict to distinguish between military objectives and civilians and to take constant care to spare civilian populations.

As millions of worshippers begin their journey to Iraq over the coming weeks, protecting pilgrimage routes has become an increasingly urgent humanitarian concern. Border crossings, passenger terminals, highways used by pilgrims, rest stations, humanitarian service centers, and medical facilities supporting the pilgrimage serve civilian purposes and will be relied upon by worshippers from across the Muslim world.

SMF News will continue to monitor developments surrounding the reported strike and provide updates as additional verified information becomes available.

Sources

Mehr News Agency

Associated Press: US military carries out strikes on Iran as both sides threaten civilian infrastructure

The Guardian: Middle East crisis live updates

ANSA: Media report on US missile strike near Iraqi border

Tasnim News Agency: All Iran Iraq border crossings open for Arbaeen pilgrims

New DHS Rule Sets Time Limits for International Students

Beginning September 15, new federal immigration rules are scheduled to replace “duration of status” with fixed expiration dates for foreign students studying at American universities. Most international students will now receive admission for their program length, capped at four years. The rule also creates new extension requirements, limits school transfers and program changes, restricts additional degrees at the same academic level, and reduces the departure period for many students from 60 days to 30 days. These changes will affect Muslim students, scholars and families at universities across the country.

International students and exchange visitors will receive fixed expiration dates instead of being allowed to remain for the duration of their programs under a new Department of Homeland Security rule. The rule also limits admission to four years at a time, requires federal extensions for longer stays, restricts school transfers and changes in academic programs, prevents most students from pursuing another degree at the same or a lower level, and reduces the departure period for many students from 60 days to 30 days.

In practical terms, students may face additional applications, costs and immigration reviews if a program lasts longer than four years or their academic plans change. The rule was published on July 17 and is scheduled to take effect on September 15. That date could change following congressional review. It applies to people in F student status, J exchange visitor status and I status for foreign journalists. Spouses and children with dependent status will also be affected.

Impact on Muslim Students and Families

The rule applies to international students from every country. It will affect Muslim students and scholars attending colleges, universities, seminaries, medical programs and research institutions throughout the United States.

Muslim students in lengthy degree programs may need to apply for extensions. Those considering a change in their field of study, a transfer to another school or a second degree at the same level may face new restrictions.

The effects may also extend to families. The immigration status of a student's spouse and children is generally tied to the student's status. Dependent family members may need to file their own extension applications when the student requests additional time.

Students can review their I94, Form I20 or Form DS 2019 with their school's international student office. Questions involving travel, transfers, extensions or changes in immigration status may require advice from an immigration attorney.

Ending Duration of Status

Most international students currently enter the United States under a system known as duration of status. Their immigration records generally show D/S instead of a fixed expiration date.

This allows a student to remain in the country while enrolled in an approved program, followed by any authorized training and departure period, as long as the student continues following immigration requirements.

Under the new system, students and exchange visitors will receive a specific expiration date. Their admission will generally cover the length of the program listed on their immigration documents, but no longer than four years at a time.

Programs Longer Than Four Years

Students who need additional time will have to apply to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension. They may also leave the country and request a new period of admission when returning.

This change is expected to affect doctoral students, medical trainees and others enrolled in programs that commonly last longer than four years.

A student who files an extension on time generally may remain in the country while the application is pending. F1 students may continue studying during that period. Permission to work will depend on the type of employment and when the extension was filed.

OPT and STEM OPT

Optional Practical Training and STEM Optional Practical Training will remain available. However, students may need to file an extension of stay in addition to an employment authorization application.

Students moving from a degree program into practical training will need to monitor both their employment authorization and the expiration date on their I94 immigration record.

Restrictions on Transfers and Academic Changes

Students below the graduate level generally must complete their first academic year before changing schools or majors. Immigration officials may approve exceptions for circumstances such as a school closure, a natural disaster or another situation outside the student's control.

Graduate students will face tighter limits. They generally will not be allowed to change their field or level of study during a program.

Graduate students also generally will not be permitted to transfer to another school during a program unless immigration officials approve an exception based on extenuating circumstances. This could affect students whose research adviser moves to another university or whose academic program becomes unavailable.

Limits on Additional Degrees

After completing a program, an international student generally may begin another program only at a higher academic level.

A student completing a bachelor's degree could move into a master's program. A student completing a master's degree generally could not begin another master's program while remaining in F1 status.

Shorter Departure Period

The rule reduces the usual departure period for many F1 students from 60 days to 30 days.

Students who finish their studies or authorized practical training before their immigration admission period expires will have 30 days to leave the country or take another step to maintain lawful status.

Students who violate the terms of their status will not receive a departure period.

Students Already in the United States

Students and exchange visitors who are lawfully present in the country when the rule takes effect may qualify for transition protections.

In many cases, they will be allowed to remain through the program end date listed on their current Form I20 or Form DS 2019, or through the expiration of existing employment authorization. The transition period generally cannot extend beyond four years from September 15, 2026.

The transition rules generally do not apply to someone outside the United States when the rule takes effect or someone who is already violating immigration status.

International Travel

Travel after September 15 may result in a new fixed expiration date when a student or exchange visitor returns to the United States.

The date recorded on the I94 will control the authorized stay. A valid visa does not allow someone to remain past the I94 expiration date.

The full rule is available through the Federal Register.