Iranian drones target Iraq's Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's office

Two drones launched from Iran targeted offices linked to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and a senior security official, with no casualties reported.

Two drones targeted the office of Kurdistan Region (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to reports from Rudaw in the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq.

Barzani is one of the leading officials in the autonomous region, along with Nechirvan Barzani, who is the president of the KRG. The attack came as reports also said Nechirvan had been tapped by the US as a possible back channel contact to Iran in May.

The attack also comes as Baghdad is supposed to rein in Iranian-backed militias who have been attacking the Kurdistan Region.

Rudaw wrote that “two attack drones launched from Iran targeted the office of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the head of the Region’s security agency in Erbil province’s Pirmam district early Monday, Kurdish counterterrorism forces said. No casualties were reported.”

What is known about this Iranian escalation is that the attack took place just after midnight. The attacks targeted an office and a residence of the Director of the Kurdistan Intelligence Agency, Kurdistan24 noted. The drones came from Iran. The drones were of the Hadid-110 type, Kurdistan24 added.

Iranian drones target senior KRG officials

Rudaw added that the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Security Council, said in a statement that “two explosive drones of the Hadid-110 type were launched from the Iranian side of the border toward the headquarters of the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister’s private office and the residence of the director of the Security Council in Erbil province’s Pirmam district. Fortunately, the attack caused no casualties.”

This is a clear escalation by Iran. Why is Iran doing this now? Is it trying to threaten the KRG to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition groups? Or is this a message directed at Barzani due to other reasons?

Iran’s attack on the Kurdistan Region has continued despite the efforts of Nechirvan Barzani to do outreach to Tehran. The two relatives, Nechirvan and Masrour, are the key leaders who matter in the Kurdistan Region.

Along with Bafel Talabani, who runs the PUK party, these figures play an essential role in Iraq and the region. Iran has long had better ties to the Kurdish PUK party than to the KDP, which dominates Erbil, the capital of the KRG.

The Kurdistan Region has condemned the new attacks, calling them “completely unacceptable.” It also warned that “those responsible for carrying them out bear full responsibility for the consequences,” Rudaw noted.

Barzani condemns attack as dangerous escalation

KRG Prime Minister Barzani wrote on X/Twitter, “Based on information and investigations conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Directorate in the Kurdistan Region, it has been confirmed that my personal office and the residence of the President of the Parastin Agency were subjected today to Iranian attacks using drones. As I strongly condemn these reckless and unacceptable aggressions in the strongest terms, I affirm that they constitute a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the region, and such attacks will not deter us from continuing to carry out our duties and protecting our citizens.”

Barzani also said that “according to the investigations and verified information of the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service, today my private office and the residence of the Director General of the Protection Agency were targeted in a drone attack by Iran.” He also said he “strongly and unequivocally condemns this illegitimate and unacceptable attack. This is a dangerous step and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region.”

Iran previously targeted the residence of Nechirvan Barzani in May. At the time, “the United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the attack targeting the residence of His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in Duhok Governorate, expressing its concern over this heinous act.” It is not clear what message Iran is sending with the recent attack and the previous one.