On Monday, the UK-listed oil and gas firm Gulf Keystone announced it had temporarily shut down production operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a safety precaution due to the developing regional security environment.

“The Company’s approach is in line with other international oil companies operating in the region,” Gulf Keystone said.

“The Company’s assets have not been impacted and the latest gross production from the Shaikan Field was above 45,000 barrels of oil per day.”

On July 18, Al Monitor reported that international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have decided to pause production effective immediately due to the security situation.

Earlier this week, the U.S. energy company HKN suspended its operations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region due to the security risk.

The UAE’s Dana Gas, which operates the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah, temporarily suspended operations on July 16 due the security risk.

After Dana Gas suspended production, gas supplies to power stations were halted, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 megawatts of electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region and power blackouts.

On July 17, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources announced that Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has started to deliver LPG gas to address the temporary disruption in gas production caused by the halt in production in the Khor Mor gas field.

The oil and gas companies have suspended production amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran in the region and increasing drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region since last Wednesday.

On Friday, nine members of an Iranian Kurdish opposition party were killed in an Iranian missile attack. Also, several drones were intercepted by the US-led Coalition in Erbil on Wednesday and Friday.

On July 18, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members following an Iranian attack on July 17. One missing soldier was found after the attack.

Separately, CENTCOM announced that a U.S. service member in Kurdistan Region was killed in action on July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone

Read More: KRG PM Masrour Barzani Calls for End to Regional War

Last Friday, the KRG called on Iran to stop the attacks, underlining the neutrality of the Kurdistan Region.

During the inauguration of a new water project on Sunday, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani underlined that the Kurdistan Region is not part of the conflict.

“We do not want to become involved in the confrontation and war taking place in the region,” he said. “We hope that peace and stability will once again prevail, and that the fighting and bloodshed will come to an end.”