Pro-Iran Rocket Strike On Khor Mor Gas Field Leads to Widespread Blackouts In Iraq’s Kurdistan

 

On the night of November 26 two rockets were fired at the Khor Mor natural gas facility in Sulaymaniya. One rocket fell short but the other hit a storage facility setting off a fire and shutting down operations.

 

This led to widespread blackouts across the Kurdistan region which is dependent upon Khor Mor to fuel its power plants.

 

It’s widely assumed that a pro-Iran Resistance Hashd faction was behind the attack. The Kurds said as much when they said that Baghdad’s inactivity against these groups for previous assaults led to this one.

 

Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani condemned the incident and set up a joint committee to investigate what happened. He promised that groups would be named which would be a first because that has never happened before. That’s because the Resistance is part of the government and protected by Tehran. 

 

This is the latest in a string of attacks by the armed groups against the Kurds. Khor Mor for example was hit with a drone in February. The Kurds are targeted because they are pro-American.

 

The cause of this specific incident is harder to discern. Coming right after the parliamentary elections many believe this is a message to the Kurds over forming the new government. Since the Kurds back whoever the Shiite parties decide on what the intended point could be seems unclear. Others think this was a warning about the Kurd’s independent energy policy. Baghdad has opposed the Kurds signing deals and following its own strategy. A third option is that the Resistance simply wanted to let people know that it was a still a military force in the country and should not be ignored. The U.S. for example is demanding that no Hashd group be given any major positions in the new government and wants the pro-Iran factions disarmed. The Hashd however won over 80 seats in the new parliament and will not be denied.

 

SOURCES

 

Dri, Karwan Faidhi, "Drone attack targets Khor Mor gas field," Rudaw, 2/2/25

 

Hussein, Mohammed, Tahir, Nawaz, Abdulkhaliq, Wrya, Ali, Amir, Mohammed, Araz, and Van Heuvenel, Ben, “Khor Mor rocket strike underscores unresolved security problems,” Iraq Oil Report, 11/29/25

 

Karim, Aver, “Drone strike shuts down Iraq’s Khor More Garfield, causing widespread blackouts,” The National, 11/27/25

 

Kurdistan 24, “Khor Mor strike carried out with 122 mm Grad missile,” 11/28/25

- “KRG Interior Ministry Links Latest Khor More Attack to Lack of Federal Action, Renews Call for Accountability,” 11/27/25

 

Rudaw, “No estimate for restoring power after Khor More attack,” 11/28/25

 

Salem, Amr, “Power outages hit Iraq following rocket attack on Khor More gas field,” Iraqi News, 11/27/25

 

Xinhua, “Key gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan halts operations after drone attack,” 11/27/25