Iraq, Saudi Arabia face attacks as Trump pursues Iran deal

Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field remained offline Monday after a suspected drone strike that knocked out much of the Kurdistan region’s power supply. In Saudi Arabia, falling debris from an attempted attack damaged an Aramco office building in Riyadh. The incidents came as Washington pursued a deal to end its more than eight-month-long war with Iran.

What happened: Iraqi and Kurdish officials confirmed Sunday that the overnight attack caused a fire at the facility, halting production and cutting between 70 and 80% of the area’s electricity supply. It was not clear who was responsible for the attack and whether it was related to the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.

Omid Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity, said the attack suspended gas supply to power plants in the cities of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal, and Duhok, the Official Iraqi News Agency reported on Sunday. 

Ahmed said the attack knocked between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation off the grid. He said the ministry would provide electricity to critical facilities, such as hospitals and water treatment plants, by operating hydroelectric power stations and plants that run on alternative fuel.