ERBIL, Iraq — The United States on Monday denounced an overnight drone attack on the convoy of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, calling the strike a “cowardly terrorist act” and urging Baghdad to bring those responsible to justice, according to a State Department statement.
Kurdish security officials said an explosive-laden drone detonated late Sunday on the outskirts of Erbil, narrowly missing vehicles carrying the president and his security detail as they returned from a visit to neighboring Shaqlawa. No injuries were reported, but two escort vehicles were damaged, the officials told SourceRated on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.
Video posted to social media and verified by local outlet Rudaw showed plumes of smoke rising from a roadway about 15 kilometers northeast of the city. Emergency crews arrived within minutes, the footage indicated.
“This was a deliberate attempt to destabilize one of the most secure areas of Iraq,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in Washington. “We stand with the people of the Kurdistan Region and with President Barzani against those who employ violence to advance political aims.”
No group has claimed responsibility. However, analysts noted that Iran-backed militia factions operating under the umbrella of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces have launched dozens of rocket and drone attacks on Kurdish territory in recent years, often citing the presence of U.S. troops at an air base near Erbil.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered the Interior Ministry to open an investigation and “present findings without delay,” his office said. The federal government has struggled to rein in an array of armed groups that gained influence during the war against the Islamic State.
President Barzani, a key Western ally who has mediated Baghdad–Erbil budget disputes, made no public appearance Monday but released a statement thanking “friends of the Kurdistan Region who have expressed solidarity.” Kurdish regional parliament speaker Rewaz Fayaq warned that the incident could further strain the region’s fragile security cooperation with federal forces.
Regional security experts said the attack underscores the growing sophistication of non-state actors wielding inexpensive drones. “For under USD 10,000 they can threaten high-value targets and generate outsized headlines,” said Bilal Wahab, a fellow at the Washington Institute.
The latest strike comes as Washington and Baghdad negotiate the future of the U.S.-led anti-ISIS mission. A spate of additional attacks, diplomats cautioned, could strengthen calls in Congress to reconsider the deployment of some 2,500 American troops still stationed in Iraq.
Investigators are expected to release preliminary findings within days, but Kurdish officials privately said they doubt perpetrators will be apprehended soon, citing previous unsolved incidents. Whether the attack shifts the delicate balance between Erbil, Baghdad and Tehran will hinge on who is ultimately blamed—and how decisively Iraqi authorities respond.