Bahrain, Yemen, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Qatar and the UAE this weekend condemned Friday’s deadly drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field that killed four Yemeni workers.

دانت وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين الهجوم الإرهابي بطائرة مسيرة، الذي استهدف حقل خور مور للغاز في إقليم كردستان العراق.#العراق #كردستان_العراق#اليمن pic.twitter.com/xWlMUB5dly

— وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين الأردنية (@ForeignMinistry) April 27, 2024

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemns the terrorist attack by drone that targeted the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” the Jordan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said.

The gas field is operated by UAE-based firm Dana Gas in Sulaymaniyah’s Chamchamal district. 

UAE condemns drone terror attack on Khor Mor gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan region https://t.co/tgnpT5MnW6

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) April 27, 2024

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that the UAE “expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of these attacks aimed at undermining security and stability in Iraq, [which] are a blatant violation of international law.”

The MoFA also expressed the “UAE’s solidarity with all measures undertaken by Iraq to protect its sovereignty, security, and stability, stressing the UAE’s support for its endeavors in combating terrorism, while underscoring the UAE’s commitment to reinforcing security and stability in Iraq.” 

Secretary-General of the GCC Jasem Al-Budaiwi also condemned the attack.

Al-Budaiwi emphasized that such attacks, intended to destabilize security in Iraq, constitute a violation of the principles of international law.

Qatar on April 28 reiterated the “State of Qatar’s firm position rejecting violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of the motives and reasons; and affirmed full solidarity with the sisterly Republic of Iraq.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen, through its embassy in Baghdad, issued a statement indicating ongoing communication with officials in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

Additionally, it underscored efforts to repatriate the deceased to Yemen and closely monitor the health conditions of the injured. 

The Kingdom of Bahrain also strongly condemned the “heinous terrorist attack using a bomb-laden drone on the Khor Mor gas field.”

“Dana Gas, which operates the Khor Mor field, is a UAE-based company. The widespread condemnation of the attack in the region comes from the good relationship between these countries and the KRG and the fact that these countries realize that Iran-backed militias are most likely behind the attack,” Mohammed Salih, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, told Kurdistan Chronicle.

“These countries have also been targets of prior attacks by pro-Iran militias. The militias are further emboldened by the recent conflict in the region and, without consequences for their actions, they are likely to continue their attacks with impunity, particularly on actors like the Kurds.”

Thomas Schmidinger, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kurdistan Hewler, told Kurdistan Chronicle that by “condemning the attack on the gas production at Khor Mor, the Arab states are sending the message that they are against any destabilization of Iraq and are thus sending a clear signal to those suspected of being responsible for the attack. In addition, it was Yemeni workers who were killed.”