U.S. Condemns Drone Strikes on Kurdish Iraqi Oil Fields

The U.S. State Department on 16 July issued a statement sharply condemning a series of drone attacks against oil infrastructure in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The strikes, which began on 14 July, hit the Khormala and Sarsang oil fields, the latter operated by U.S.-owned HKN Energy. Washington called the attacks “unacceptable,” saying they undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and jeopardise efforts to attract foreign investment. The department urged Baghdad to use its authority to prevent armed groups from launching further assaults on critical energy sites inside the country.