A U.S.-operated oil field in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region has been obliterated by a drone strike — and all signs point to Iran-backed militias. The target: HKN Energy’s Sarsang site in Duhok, now in flames and completely shut down. As smoke rises, so do fears of a wider proxy war unfolding across Iraq.
The attack, which Kurdish officials condemned as a “deliberate act of terrorism,” comes amid a stalled oil export system and growing instability. The U.S. has issued a sharp rebuke, demanding Iraq take action. Meanwhile, Baghdad and Erbil are under pressure to respond — fast.
Is this the beginning of a new front in Iran’s shadow war with the U.S.? Or a direct message to Washington about who controls Iraq’s energy future?
