Fear of Iraq-based attacks behind Khor Mor halt, not regional war: Official
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The suspension of operations at Kurdistan Region’s strategic Khor Mor gas field is driven primarily by “fear” of drone attacks launched by armed groups inside Iraq rather than the broader conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel, Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesperson Dilshad Shahab said on Monday.
“The halting of Khor Mor operations and other oil production companies is more out of fear of drones from inside Iraq and forces outside the law inside Iraq than out of fear of war being directed from Iran, America, or Israel,” Shahab told Rudaw in an interview.
The Khor Mor gas field is one of the Kurdistan Region’s most important energy facilities, supplying gas used to generate a large portion of the Region’s electricity. Its shutdown has significantly impacted the power supply.
The operator of the field, the UAE-based Dana Gas, halted gas exports to power generation stations in the Region following the escalation of conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel last week. At the time, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said the suspension would reduce electricity supply by between 2,500 and 3,000 megawatts. Round-the-clock power availability has dropped to five to eight hours a day.
On Thursday, the company said the temporary suspension of production was carried out “in coordination” with the KRG “as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing regional security situation.”
Since the outbreak of the conflict last week, drones and other projectiles have repeatedly targeted sites in the Kurdistan Region, including areas around Erbil and Sulaimani. Several Iraq-based pro-Iran militia groups have claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks on US interests in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as other targets they say are linked to Washington.
Shahab criticized the Iraqi federal government for failing to curb the attacks, saying the situation raises serious questions about the authority of the state.
“But what is truly strange is that these problems for the Kurdistan Region are created from within Iraq,” he said. “This puts federal official institutions, especially the federal government, under a very serious question.”
Kurdish leaders on Sunday warned they would no longer tolerate attacks on the Region, calling on Baghdad to take “serious” steps to stop assaults targeting energy infrastructure, military bases, and civilian areas.
Baghdad has deployed troops to areas bordering the Kurdistan Region in an effort to prevent further strikes, but the move has not stopped attacks targeting Erbil International Airport, energy facilities, and other sites.
Meanwhile, former US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday called on Washington to consider targeting the military capabilities of pro-Iran militia groups if their involvement in attacks on US forces in the Kurdistan Region is confirmed.
“There are allegations from serious people that the attacks on Kurdish targets by pro-IRGC Iraqi groups are funded by the Iraqi government,” Khalilzad wrote on X.
He also pointed to claims that the same groups were behind recent attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad and on locations in the Kurdistan Region where US personnel are based.
“If these allegations are found to be true, the US Administration must consider targeting these groups to eliminate their military capabilities, and press Baghdad to end all financial support to them,” he said.
Some of the groups accused of carrying out the attacks are affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, a paramilitary network formally incorporated into Iraq’s security structure and funded by the Iraqi government.
Despite the rising tensions, Kurdish authorities say they remain committed to keeping the Kurdistan Region out of the widening regional conflict and preserving stability for its residents.
“The halting of Khor Mor operations and other oil production companies is more out of fear of drones from inside Iraq and forces outside the law inside Iraq than out of fear of war being directed from Iran, America, or Israel,” Shahab told Rudaw in an interview.
The Khor Mor gas field is one of the Kurdistan Region’s most important energy facilities, supplying gas used to generate a large portion of the Region’s electricity. Its shutdown has significantly impacted the power supply.
The operator of the field, the UAE-based Dana Gas, halted gas exports to power generation stations in the Region following the escalation of conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel last week. At the time, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said the suspension would reduce electricity supply by between 2,500 and 3,000 megawatts. Round-the-clock power availability has dropped to five to eight hours a day.
On Thursday, the company said the temporary suspension of production was carried out “in coordination” with the KRG “as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing regional security situation.”
Since the outbreak of the conflict last week, drones and other projectiles have repeatedly targeted sites in the Kurdistan Region, including areas around Erbil and Sulaimani. Several Iraq-based pro-Iran militia groups have claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks on US interests in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as other targets they say are linked to Washington.
Shahab criticized the Iraqi federal government for failing to curb the attacks, saying the situation raises serious questions about the authority of the state.
“But what is truly strange is that these problems for the Kurdistan Region are created from within Iraq,” he said. “This puts federal official institutions, especially the federal government, under a very serious question.”
Kurdish leaders on Sunday warned they would no longer tolerate attacks on the Region, calling on Baghdad to take “serious” steps to stop assaults targeting energy infrastructure, military bases, and civilian areas.
Baghdad has deployed troops to areas bordering the Kurdistan Region in an effort to prevent further strikes, but the move has not stopped attacks targeting Erbil International Airport, energy facilities, and other sites.
Meanwhile, former US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday called on Washington to consider targeting the military capabilities of pro-Iran militia groups if their involvement in attacks on US forces in the Kurdistan Region is confirmed.
“There are allegations from serious people that the attacks on Kurdish targets by pro-IRGC Iraqi groups are funded by the Iraqi government,” Khalilzad wrote on X.
He also pointed to claims that the same groups were behind recent attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad and on locations in the Kurdistan Region where US personnel are based.
“If these allegations are found to be true, the US Administration must consider targeting these groups to eliminate their military capabilities, and press Baghdad to end all financial support to them,” he said.
Some of the groups accused of carrying out the attacks are affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, a paramilitary network formally incorporated into Iraq’s security structure and funded by the Iraqi government.
Despite the rising tensions, Kurdish authorities say they remain committed to keeping the Kurdistan Region out of the widening regional conflict and preserving stability for its residents.