The bodies of five Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) members martyred in joint US-Saudi airstrikes in Iraq’s Diyala province have been repatriated to Iran through the Mehran border crossing.
The martyrs had been tasked with helping secure the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, protecting Iranian pilgrims traveling to Iraq when they were targeted in the aerial attacks.
Four of the martyrs were identified as Morteza Akbari from Khomein, and Ali Asghar Astaneh, Abolfazl Motaqi, and Amirabbas Darhamforoush from Kashan.
Iranian media said funeral arrangements are underway and the bodies will be transferred to their hometowns for burial.
The Mehran border crossing in western Ilam province serves as the main gateway for Arbaeen pilgrims, with more than 60 percent of travelers to Iraq using the route each year.
Arbaeen marks forty days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Shia Imam.
The repatriation follows joint Saudi-US airstrikes on positions of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), or Hashd al-Sha’abi, across several Iraqi provinces on Wednesday.
Iraq’s former PM, Al-Sudani, condemns Saudi-US strikes on Hashd al-Shaabi as a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty, questioning the timing after Baghdad launched probes into drone claims—and warns Iraq will not stay silent on attacks against its security. pic.twitter.com/Ybnz6UJH24
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) July 29, 2026
The strikes targeted PMU positions in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala, killing at least 20 resistance fighters and wounding 32 others.
The attacks came after Saudi Arabia claimed that Iraqi resistance groups had launched attacks on its oil facilities, allegations that were rejected by both the Iraqi government and the resistance groups.
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi condemned the strikes as “an unacceptable act, a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and contrary to international law and the United Nations Charter.”
Iraq’s National Security Council also reaffirmed Baghdad’s rejection of hostile actions on its territory and called for disputes to be resolved through diplomatic means.
