ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered heightened “alert and readiness” across military bases, particularly those of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), following deadly US-Saudi airstrikes on pro-Iran militia positions, his military spokesperson said on Friday.

The directive comes after a series of US-Saudi airstrikes early Wednesday targeted PMF positions across Iraq, after Riyadh accused Iran-aligned Iraqi militias of attacking Saudi oil infrastructure.

Zaidi has “issued strict and immediate directives to all field commands to raise alert and readiness levels to their maximum in all camps and bases, foremost among them the official headquarters of Armed Forces formations and the Popular Mobilization Forces Authority,” military spokesperson Sabah al-Numan told state media.

The US-Saudi strikes targeted several bases belonging to the state-integrated but Iran-backed PMF across seven Iraqi provinces, killing at least 20 fighters and injuring 32 others.

The attacks were widely condemned across Iraq's political spectrum, particularly by Iran-backed militias, which have issued sharp warnings to both Baghdad and Washington.

Numan added that Zaidi also directed “the implementation of preventative intelligence plans to thwart any attacks” and ordered authorities to accelerate the deployment of radar and air defense systems and "secure the skies over vital areas and military headquarters.”

He said the regional conflict poses a serious threat to Iraq's stability, “especially when external parties carry out unilateral strikes or use Iraqi airspace as a theater for their operations,” adding that “the threat lies not only in the material impact of the strikes, but in attempts to drag the state into axes of conflict."

Several Iraqi officials criticized the Saudi-led strikes, arguing they were carried out before an investigation ordered by Zaidi into the alleged attacks on Saudi territory had been completed, and called on Riyadh to provide evidence supporting its claims.

Since taking office, Zaidi has led a renewed effort to disarm armed groups and restrict weapons to state control. The initiative has been strongly backed by Washington, which has long called for Iran-backed militias to be brought under full government authority.

Numan reiterated that Iraq's security depends on “restricting weapons to the state, preventing any irresponsible individual actions or movements outside the framework of the General Command of the Armed Forces” and “imposing strict control over security decision-making.”

The PMF has long been accused of operating beyond Baghdad's authority and conducting military operations at Tehran's behest.