'Perpetrators Must Be Brought to Justice,' US Chargé d'Affaires Reaffirms Washington's Support for Kurdistan

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received a phone call from Joshua Harris, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, who strongly condemned the attack on the Khor Mor gas field and reaffirmed Washington’s support for the Kurdistan Region, the KRG announced in an official statement.

During the call, both sides agreed on the urgent need to strengthen the Kurdistan Region’s defensive measures and emphasized that the perpetrators of the “terrorist” assault must be exposed and brought to justice.

The attack — which halted gas production and significantly reduced the Region’s electricity output — triggered a wave of condemnations from international partners, including France and the United Kingdom, alongside sharp reactions from Kurdish and Iraqi leadership.

France and the United Kingdom issued strong condemnations on Thursday, warning that assaults on critical energy facilities endanger the stability of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

French Ambassador Patrick Durel condemned the attack unequivocally on X, describing energy infrastructure as essential to every community and reiterating Paris’s commitment to the security of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

“I strongly condemn the attack tonight on the Khor Mor gas facilities. Energy infrastructure benefits the entire population. France reaffirms its commitment to the security of Iraq as a whole, and of Kurdistan within it,” Ambassador Durel wrote.

The British Embassy in Baghdad and the British Consulate-General in Erbil also released a joint statement denouncing the strike.

“We strongly condemn the attack on the Khor Mor gas field last night. Attacks on critical infrastructure threaten Iraq’s stability and the safety of its people. The UK stands with Iraqi partners and supports efforts to protect vital facilities. We urge accountability for those responsible,” the statement read.

Their remarks added to a growing chorus of Western criticism as concerns mount over repeated strikes on Kurdistan’s energy sector.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani earlier described the overnight drone attack as a “cowardly assault” and urged Baghdad to take decisive steps to apprehend the perpetrators. He warned that those responsible — “the usual terrorists or whoever may be behind tonight’s attacks” — must not be allowed to evade justice as in prior incidents.

He also stressed the necessity of effective defensive systems from Iraq’s international partners, including the United States, to protect civilian and energy infrastructure across the Kurdistan Region.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, in a phone call with PM Barzani on Thursday, condemned the strike as a “disgraceful assault directed at all Iraqis.” He affirmed that a joint investigative committee would be formed immediately to track down and arrest those responsible.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani issued a separate statement, describing the attack as a grave strike against the economic foundations of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He warned that targeting such infrastructure poses a direct threat to national stability and called on Baghdad and Iraq’s security institutions to take urgent measures to prevent future attacks.

The Khor Mor gas field — one of Iraq’s most strategically significant energy assets — supplies the majority of the natural gas used for electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region and contributes to power production across Iraq.

Repeated attacks on the facility in recent years have raised widespread alarm, disrupting gas supply and undermining national electricity output. Wednesday night’s strike renewed urgent calls for stronger security protection for energy infrastructure and for coordinated action from both Baghdad and Erbil.

As investigations continue, international partners and Iraqi authorities alike have emphasized that those behind the attack must be held fully accountable, warning that further assaults on vital infrastructure threaten the economic stability and security of the entire country.