Sabotage: The Goal Behind the Drone Strikes on KRG Oil Infrastructure

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - While the efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government and oil investment companies with the Federal Government to resume the Region's oil exports continue, outlaw militia groups are continuing their explosive-laden drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region's oil fields. 

The U.S. Embassy considers these attacks a threat and says they are "unacceptable," while observers view the attacks as having a motive to destabilize and strike Kurdistan's economic infrastructure.

Dr. Saman Sorani: The drone attacks have political dimensions and the intention to disrupt Kurdistan's stability

Dr. Saman Sorani, an advisor on political and diplomatic affairs, views the drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region's oil fields as having a motive to disrupt the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region. 

He told the Kurdistan24 website, "The goal of these drone attacks on the oil fields, aside from having political dimensions, is to disrupt the security, stability, and sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region, so that foreign companies cannot come to the Kurdistan Region for work and investment. For example, in the recent past, under the supervision of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, two valuable contracts were signed with two American companies in Washington. This has concerned the countries that have influence over Iraq and possess militias, and in reaction to these agreements, they are attacking the Kurdistan Region's oil fields."

He added: "If the gas sector in the Kurdistan Region becomes stronger, Iraq will no longer be forced to import gas from countries in the region to generate electricity and meet other needs. This would cause billions of dollars in economic losses to the countries that export gas to Iraq. Therefore, this could be another reason motivating the militias to attack the Kurdistan Region and its oil fields."

Regarding why the attacks on the Kurdistan Region's oil fields are happening at this time, Sorani believes the drone attacks are related to the issue of the Kurdistan Region's employee salaries and the current relations between Erbil and Baghdad. He says Iraqi authorities want to weaken the Kurdistan Region economically and then control it.

Shahriyar Shekhlar: The drone attacks are a continuation of previous attacks and aim to increase pressure

Regarding the objective of the drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, Shahriyar Shekhlar, an expert in economics and energy, told the Kurdistan24 website specifically that these attacks on the oil facilities and economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region are intentional and a continuation of previous attacks. Their goal is to “undermine the stability of the Kurdistan Region, which has been a key point of difference between the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq for foreign and local investors.”

He added: "Threatening the Kurdistan Region's oil sector, which has been the engine of the Kurdistan Region's economy for the past 15 years, is intended to weaken the cards held by the Regional Government in future negotiations with the Federal Government and Iraqi parties to obtain the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region."

Shahriyar Shekhlar says: "Demonstrating the military capability and threat of outlaw armed groups to the Iraqi government and other countries comes at a time when there is talk of dissolving these groups."

He also noted, "As we have seen before, whenever negotiations between Iraqi parties or between the Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government reach a sensitive and decisive stage, these attacks on the Kurdistan Region resume."

He says: "Currently, negotiations between the Regional Government and the Federal Government are underway to resolve the oil and salary issues. These attacks serve as a threat to the Iraqi government regarding providing the Kurdistan Region's share of the budget. They also become a threat to the agreement between the Regional Government and the oil companies in future negotiations with the Federal Government. Besides these points, the attacks will have an impact on the Federal Government and Iraq's official institutions, especially now that several important issues are being debated in the Iraqi Parliament."

Mariwan Qarani: We are awaiting a response from the Federal Government

Mariwan Qarani, Deputy Head of the KDP bloc and a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, commented on the drone attacks in a special statement to the Kurdistan24 website, saying: "We, as the Defense Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, are awaiting a response from the Federal Government regarding the continuous attacks on the oil fields of the Kurdistan Region."

He added: "These attacks are not aimed at the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region, but rather at targeting Kurdistan's economic infrastructure. The motives could be threefold. First, they want to damage the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region because it has economic independence; Kurdistan has advanced through services and oil."

"Fundamentally, their problem is not with the oil fields, but they fear Kurdistan's economic independence. That is why they attack these fields, so that the Kurdistan Region suffers losses and is set back. Just like with the salaries, which they worked on jointly, these attacks are one of the interconnected issues."

"Second, we are certain that they are trying to create problems for the foreign oil companies working in the Kurdistan Region. The very presence of these foreign companies in the Kurdistan Region is an expression of Kurdistan's security and stability. Therefore, they are trying to disrupt that stability so that these companies can no longer invest and work, and Kurdistan cannot benefit."

Regarding the third point, Mariwan Qarani said: "We suspect that there are two other points behind these attacks. Currently, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the investing companies in the oil sector are in talks with Baghdad. It is not unlikely that these outlaw armed groups are doing this to disrupt the current situation and to pressure the Kurdistan Region to agree to the conditions set by Baghdad, while Baghdad's conditions are neither legal nor constitutional. On the other hand, their intention is to set back the Kurdistan Region economically in any way possible. The problem is not only about stability but also about the economic infrastructure."

Seven Drone Attacks in 72 Hours

In less than the last 72 hours, seven drone attacks have been carried out by outlaw Iraqi militia groups on the Kurdistan Region, within the borders of both Erbil and Duhok provinces, with six of the attacks targeting oil fields.

Early this morning, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, outlaw Iraqi militia groups targeted three oil fields in the Kurdistan Region with explosive-laden drones in the Zakho Independent Administration and Duhok. There were no casualties, only material damage.

Regarding the attacks, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate announced that at 6:00 AM and 6:15 AM, two explosive-laden drones attacked the DNO oil field in Peshkhabur in the Zakho Independent Administration.

Also, at 7:00 AM, another explosive-laden drone attacked another DNO oil field in the Tawke area, within the Zakho Independent Administration.

In a third attack, at 7:14 AM, militia groups targeted the American Hunt Oil field in Ba'adre, in the Shekhan district of Duhok province, with an explosive-laden drone.

This comes as yesterday evening, Tuesday, at 8:20 PM and 8:25 PM, two explosive-laden drones were shot down at the Khurmala oil field in Erbil province.

Also, at 7:00 AM yesterday, Tuesday, in the village of Milbarki, in the Chamanke sub-district of Amedi, the 'Sarsink' oil field was attacked with an explosive-laden drone.

On Monday, July 14, 2025, two explosive-laden drones crashed at the Khurmala oil field in Erbil province, and early on the same day, an explosive-laden drone was disabled and shot down near Erbil International Airport, resulting in no casualties or material damage.

Ministry of Natural Resources to the Iraqi Government and International Community: Prevent the Drone Attacks

Regarding the attacks, the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Natural Resources issued a statement today, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, strongly "condemning these terrorist attacks" and noting that the purpose of the attacks is to "strike the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region and create a threat to the safety of civilian employees in the energy sector."

It also directed a message to all relevant parties in the Federal Government and the international community to take immediate action to protect the lives of civilian employees, ensure energy security, and prevent further attacks on Kurdistan's energy sector.

Kurdistan Region Ministry of Interior: There is a kind of evasion from Baghdad regarding the attacks on the Region

Previously, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Interior criticized the Iraqi Federal Government, stating in a clarification that the expectation from the relevant authorities in the Federal Government, when there is a threat to the Kurdistan Region or any other area of Iraq, is to take necessary measures, prevent the recurrence of threats, and punish the criminals. But unfortunately, "we feel there is a kind of cover-up and evasion of responsibility regarding the security transgressions being committed against the Kurdistan Region."

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad: These attacks are unacceptable and a threat

Also regarding the recurrence of drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and its Consulate General in Erbil, while condemning the drone attacks on the Region's oil fields yesterday, Wednesday, emphasized: "The Iraqi government must prevent militias and armed groups."

The U.S. Embassy stated: "The Iraqi government must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from carrying out such attacks on sites within the country, including those where Iraqi and international companies have invested in Iraq's future."

It also stressed, "These attacks are unacceptable, a threat to Iraq's sovereignty, and hinder Iraq's efforts to attract foreign investment."