Iran resumes missile attacks as U.S. and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq

This satellite image provided by Planet Labs PBC on July 27 shows smoke rising from the Saudi Aramco oil processing facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Planet Labs PBC via AP hide caption toggle caption Planet Labs PBC via AP CAIRO — Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East early Wednesday as the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. The flare-up on multiple fronts, after several days of relative calm, raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. It was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies. Saudi Arabia had accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past two days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while another Iran-backed group — the Houthi rebels in Yemen — said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related c...