Trump envoy says US supports stronger Kurdistan after drone attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mark Savaya, US Special Envoy to Iraq, on Thursday said Washington supports a stronger Erbil and called on Baghdad to identify those responsible for the latest drone attack on Kurdistan Region’s main gas field. 

“The United States supports a strong Kurdistan within a united and stable Iraq. We encourage Baghdad and Erbil to deepen their security cooperation and work closely to safeguard vital economic and energy infrastructure,” Savaya said on X. 

He added that the drone attack that targeted Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province late Wednesday was carried out by “armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas.”

President Donald Trump’s envoy also called on the Iraqi government to identify the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice.

“Let it be unequivocal: there is no place for such armed groups in a fully sovereign Iraq. The United States will fully support these efforts. Every illegal armed group and supporter will be tracked, confronted, and held accountable,” he said. 

The attack targeted a storage tank at the Khor Mor gas field, causing a blaze which was put out after several hours. The assault has been widely condemned and labeled as a terrorist attack, with the Kurdish officials calling on Baghdad to find the perpetrators and hold them responsible for the assault. 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday chaired an emergency security meeting and decided to form a high-level committee to probe the attack. He has also spoken on the phone with the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani over the assault. 

“We agreed to form a joint investigative committee to identify and prosecute those responsible,” said the Kurdish prime minister on X. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has previously blamed some Iraqi militia groups for similar attacks on the field and energy facilities in the Kurdistan Region. 

Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister, blamed Iraqi “usual terrorists on the federal government’s payroll” for the attack. 

Located in Chamchamal district, Khor Mor gas field is operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum. The field has come under numerous Katyusha and drone attacks in recent years, and the Kurdish authorities have blamed Iran-backed militia groups.

Dana Gas said in a statement on Thursday that production at the facility “has been shut down to extinguish the fire and conduct a situation assessment,” noting that it “continues to coordinate with local authorities, and further updates will be provided to the market in due course.”