Iran’s Efforts to Curb Iraq’s Political and Economic Independence

During a visit by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani to Iran, the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region was struck by a drone. There have been allegations that Shiite militias are responsible for the attack, making it the third of its kind.

On a two-day visit starting February 2, 2025, al-Mashhadani brought several issues to Tehran, including armed Shiite militias, which Washington is pressuring the Iraqi government to disband.

However, the bombing of one of the largest gas fields in northern Iraq has raised questions about the timing of the attack and whether Iran is attempting to escalate tensions in Iraq, particularly as the Iranian axis in the region wanes following the destruction of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.

Militia Attack 

On February 3, the General Directorate of Counter-Terrorism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq identified the group responsible for the drone strike on the Kor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah as lawless militias from the Bashir area in Kirkuk province, according to an official statement.

The Bashir area is a village in Kirkuk province near the Kurdistan region, controlled by armed militias with close ties to Iran, which are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), officially recognized by the Iraqi government.

However, Ali al-Husseini, the PMF’s relations officer for northern and eastern Diyala, denied on February 2 that any drone was launched from Bashir or anywhere in Kirkuk, demanding proof.

“The claim that a drone was launched from Bashir, south of Kirkuk, to target the Kor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah is strange and untrue. Those making the accusations must provide proof,” al-Husseini told Shafaq News.

“The security situation is stable, and no information has been recorded about any drone leaving Bashir or the outskirts of Kirkuk. Those making the accusation must provide evidence, not base accusations on false information.”

On February 2, the Security Media Cell (official) announced that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani had ordered the formation of a security committee to investigate the circumstances of the attack on the Kor Mor gas field.

In April 2024, Kor Mor was targeted by a similar drone strike, resulting in the deaths of three field workers and injuring three others, as well as causing a loss of 2,500 MW of electricity from the region's power grid.

In 2022, the Kor Mor field in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq was hit by three missile strikes within just 72 hours, causing the UAE’s Dana Gas to withdraw from the field, requiring security to be restored before resuming operations.

Shiite militias loyal to Iran are often accused of carrying out these attacks, as they are the only group with drones, aside from Iraq’s security forces. Despite the Iraqi government’s directive to investigate these attacks, no conclusive results have been released.

Troublesome Arena

Regarding the reasons behind the current attacks on the gas field by Iran-linked militias, Iraqi affairs researcher Iyad Thabet argued that “the targeting goes beyond the issue of security disruption in the Kurdistan region or Iraq. Instead, it aims to keep the situation under constant threat.”

“The instability at the Kor Mor field means no expansion in gas production from the Kurdistan region, which could potentially end Iraqi dependence on Iranian gas, crucial for electricity generation. Therefore, Iran seeks to limit Iraq's domestic gas resources,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“Iran wants Iraq to remain dependent on it for gas imports, and if Iraq attempts to increase its production or seek electricity imports from Saudi Arabia or another country, the attacks will escalate.”

On the other hand, the researcher believes that “Iran is also challenging the U.S. via Iraq to send a message to the current U.S. administration under Donald Trump: that any decision made in the region will not proceed without considering our interests, especially regarding the nuclear issue.”

“Trump is intensifying pressure on Iran to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear file under U.S. terms, while Tehran still has leverage it can use, particularly disrupting Iraq and Yemen, especially after losing influence in Lebanon and Syria.”

In the same context, al-Aalem Al-jadeed linked the repeated attacks on fields operated by UAE’s Dana Gas in the Kurdistan region with external agendas aiming to prevent Iraq from achieving self-sufficiency in gas production, which could affect foreign companies.

The newspaper quoted political analyst Kovan Sherwani, who said, “The repeated targeting of Dana Gas is a twofold message: it is an implicit threat to all Gulf investments in the Kurdistan region and Iraq, as well as an attack on the natural gas industry.”

“This indicates that certain political forces do not want the local gas industry to develop, preventing Iraq from reaching a point where it can stop importing gas from a neighboring country, especially as this would save more than three billion dollars annually for the Iraqi budget.”

Vast Wealth

The Kor Mor gas field is one of the largest natural gas fields in Iraq, with reserves estimated at 8.2 trillion cubic feet. The field is managed by Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, and it produces over 450 million cubic feet of gas and 22,000 barrels of oil daily.

The field contributes to the production of 4,200 MW of electricity daily, with 2,800 MW sent to the Kurdistan region and the remaining power to the governorates of Kirkuk and Nineveh.

On March 28, 2022, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced that the region would soon begin exporting natural gas to Europe during a speech at the World Energy Conference held in the United Arab Emirates.

Barzani stated that energy development and investment have become a strategic priority for the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the region has the opportunity to supply energy to both local and global markets. “ We have now reached a point in our history where we stand ready to build on all our sacrifices. We have a tremendous opportunity to provide for both our domestic and global markets. And we are determined to transform Kurdistan into an energy hub of our region.”

“We continue to invest in more power plants and renewables to power our future. And at the same time, we continue to develop an export potential. I’m confident that Kurdistan will soon become an important source of energy for the world’s growing demand,” he added.

According to Barzani, the Kurdistan Region will become a source of gas to the rest of Iraq, Turkiye, and Europe in the near future, helping meet their energy security needs. “Already we have an export oil capacity which acts as an essential economic lifeline for us and a vital potential supply for our partners.”

The Iraqi government aims to reduce its reliance on Iranian gas as a primary energy source. This move comes in response to international pressures, especially the U.S. sanctions on Iran, and to achieve greater independence in the energy sector.

Iraq heavily depends on Iranian gas imports to operate its power plants, as it is the sole source for Iraq’s needs. The country imports over 40% of its daily energy requirements from Iran.

In March 2024, Iraq signed an agreement with Iran to increase gas imports to 50 million cubic meters daily for five years, with an annual value of approximately $6 billion. Despite this, the country continues to face ongoing electricity outages, increasing the need to find effective alternatives.