UK condemns Khor Mor drone strike as KRG official flags stalled anti-drone protection

ERBIL — The British Embassy in Baghdad and the British Consulate-General in Erbil on Thursday condemned the drone strike on the Khor Mor gas field, warning that such attacks threaten Iraq’s stability and public safety, as a senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official publicly urged London to unblock a stalled anti-drone system for the site.

“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 two missions said in a joint statement.

“The UK stands with Iraqi partners and supports efforts to protect vital facilities. We urge accountability for those responsible,” it added.

The Khor Mor gas complex in Sulaymaniyah was struck by a drone late Wednesday, causing a fire and halting operations. The incident led to major power outages across the Kurdistan Region after gas supplies to electricity plants were disrupted.

Khor Mor has come under repeated rocket and drone fire in recent years, with no group claiming responsibility. In April 2024, a drone strike on the facility killed four Yemeni workers and temporarily cut gas supplies, triggering widespread blackouts. The field was hit again in February 2025 and was among several oil and gas sites targeted during a wave of drone attacks on energy infrastructure across the Kurdistan Region in July, which damaged facilities and disrupted production.

British Ambassador to Iraq Irfan Siddiq separately condemned the latest strike in a post on X, writing in Arabic: “We strongly condemn the attack on the Khor Mor gas field last night in the Kurdistan Region.”

His message drew a direct response from Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who thanked the ambassador but highlighted what he described as a blocked British-made defensive system already delivered to Khor Mor.

“Thank you, Ambassador Siddiq. We value the KRG-UK partnership and appreciate your sympathy,” Ahmad said in a reply posted on X. “The UK could help. A British company has delivered an anti-drone system in Khor Mor — it’s entirely defensive and jams incoming drones. Yet the system isn’t working because the UK government won’t accept KRG-issued end-user certificates, and Baghdad refuses to issue one. This technology could save lives. How do we break this impasse?”

Earlier today, French Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Durel also condemned the drone strike on the Khor Mor gas complex, calling the attack a threat to infrastructure that serves the broader population.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the drone strike and demanded action from both Baghdad and international partners to prevent repeat attacks. “I also urge our American and international partners to provide the defensive equipment necessary to protect our civilian infrastructure, and to support us in taking serious action to deter these attacks on our people and our progress,” he said.