On the evening of November 26, the Khor Mor gas field in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq was attacked by what was initially believed to be a kamikaze drone. The attack was the latest in around a dozen similar attacks that have targeted this important gas facility over the last several years. The facility supplies liquefied petroleum gas, critical for electricity generation in the region. After the attack, the surrounding areas suffered blackouts. The attack illustrates why the Kurdistan Region, a key US partner, requires better air defenses to stop attacks in the future.

The attack has been widely condemned by Kurdish leaders in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous region, as well as by the United States, the UN, and others. Turkey and Iran have both put out statements condemning the attack. In the past, Iranian-backed militias have been blamed for threats against the gas field. The militias have targeted the Kurdistan region using drones and rockets over the last six years. In addition, the same militias have targeted American forces in Iraq.

Kurdistan Region prime minister Masrour Barzani put out a statement saying, “I condemn the cowardly attack on the Khor Mor gas field in........

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