Intelligence Briefing — Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Regional Conflict Escalation Over the last 24 hours, regional hostilities have intensified significantly following joint U.S. and Saudi airstrikes against positions associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq. These operations targeted logistics and weapons sites in response to a sustained campaign involving over 30 drone attacks against oil infrastructure and coalition bases. Strikes were confirmed in Baghdad, Basra, Diyala, and Nineveh, resulting in 48 reported fatalities among PMF personnel. Missile and Aerial Activity In retaliation for the strikes in Iraq, Iran launched six ballistic missiles directed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Five missiles were intercepted by MIM-104 Patriot batteries, while one recorded an impact. Simultaneously, Ansarallah (Houthi) forces claimed a ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea and reported the downing of a Turkish-made Vestel Karayel drone over Saada, Yemen. Damage to Saudi energy infrastructure, including an ARAMCO depot and the Alhamrani-Fuchs plant in Yanbu, has been verified via satellite imagery. Operations in Levant and Iraq Israeli defensive measures remain active, with interceptors engaging projectiles near Metula. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed a systematic destruction of infrastructure across 24 villages in southern Lebanon, citing the removal of Hezbollah military positions. In Iraq, multiple explosions were reported near Erbil Air Base, and continuous artillery fire persists across various fronts, including Nabatieh and the 52nd Brigade sectors. OUTLOOK Operational tempo remains high across Iraq, Jordan, and the Red Sea. Risk to energy supply chains persists as insurance markets exclude Saudi-linked vessels from coverage.