In a phone call on Monday with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called for support to protect Kurdistan’s energy infrastructure.

“I spoke with @SecretaryWright on energy developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. I reaffirmed the KRG’s decision to resume oil exports through the Kurdistan pipeline – supporting Iraq’s economic stability and contributing to global energy markets,” Prime Minister Barzani posted on X.

“I also underlined the need for continued coordination and support to protect Kurdistan’s energy infrastructure, lift the trade embargo imposed on the Kurdistan Region, and stop terrorist attacks on oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region in order to increase production and exports.”

On March 29, President Masoud Barzani said that, since February 28, the Kurdistan Region has been targeted by more than 450 missile and drone attacks.

Furthermore, oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region has been targeted by Iran-backed armed groups. Notably, the Lanaz refinery in Erbil Governorate was hit by drone strikes on March 13 and March 15. Additionally, on March 6, the Sarsang oil field operated by U.S. energy company HKN in Duhok Governorate was targeted with drone strikes.

In November last year, after attacks on the Khor Mor gas field, Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to KRG Prime Minister Barzani, called on the U.S. government to allow the KRG to purchase kinetic anti-drone equipment to protect Kurdish airspace and critical infrastructure.

Furthermore, he posted on X last year that a British company had delivered an anti-drone system to Khor Mor, but that the system was not working because “the UK government won’t accept KRG-issued end-user certificates, and Baghdad refuses to issue one.”

In December last year, a committee led by Iraqi Minister of Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari and bringing together senior federal and Kurdistan Region security chiefs called for installing air-defense systems at the Khor Mor gas field, tightening controls on drone use, and forming a joint judicial-security committee to follow up on the investigation of the November attacks.