Missiles and unmanned aerial cars fired on the U.S. base are neutralized at Erbil Global Airport in Erbil, Iraq, on February 28, 2026. (Picture by means of Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures)
Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures
The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, introduced on February 28 and concluded with the delicate ceasefire that took impact on April 8, noticed Iraqi Kurdistan bear an remarkable selection of Iranian and Iran-backed defense force missile and drone assaults. Whilst U.S. and British air defenses helped protect the self sufficient area’s capital town, Erbil, the area’s essential loss of any unbiased air defenses as soon as once more changed into manifestly obvious. And it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not the area may also gain air defenses for self-protection any time quickly.
The Pentagon’s newest Lead Inspector Common report back to Congress on Operation Inherent Unravel, the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State marketing campaign in Iraq and Syria, protecting the primary quarter of 2026, highlighted this a very powerful loss of capacity.
It additionally highlighted notable assaults at the Iraqi Kurdistan Area during the conflict. Those integrated repeated assaults on U.S.-led coalition forces stationed at the grounds of Erbil Global Airport, rocket assaults concentrated on Kurdish management apartments, and a deadly March 24 assault that killed six Kurdish Peshmerga troops and wounded an estimated 30.
“Air defense systems operated by U.S. forces intercepted dozens of missile and drone attacks in the IKR, but only in the vicinity of U.S. facilities,” the record famous. “Kurdish Peshmerga lack significant defenses to cover the rest of the IKR, leaving their forces and energy infrastructure highly vulnerable to attacks.”
Even at the eve of the conflict, analysts cited on this house warned that spaces out of doors of the coalition’s air protection of the airport and the sprawling American consulate would change into “open season” for Iran and its Iraqi defense force proxies. However, the airport-based defenses did lengthen some normal protection of the Kurdish capital right through the conflict. As detailed right here, American Raytheon Coyote and British Speedy Sentry programs supplied an efficient protect in opposition to drone moves. A U.S. MIM-104 Patriot gadget, which has been intermittently founded in Erbil since 2020, possibly intercepted the Iranian ballistic missiles.
The Kurdistan Regional Govt formally tallied 809 assaults as of April 25, 477 of which centered Erbil province.
“According to the data, despite its neutrality in the conflict, the Kurdistan Region ranks first among non-combatant territories in terms of casualties and material damage,” the KRG Division of Media and Data famous in a record. “The attacks have resulted in 20 martyrs and 123 wounded, while hundreds of citizens have suffered material losses affecting their homes, workplaces, and vehicles.”
As of Would possibly 21, the native Kurdish Rudaw Media Community tallied 855 drone and missile assaults in opposition to Iraqi Kurdistan since February 28. It estimates those assaults, together with post-ceasefire moves, killed a complete of 20 and injured 128.
Had the U.S.-led coalition now not been found in Erbil, the fatalities and injury may’ve been considerably upper. The U.S. already withdrew its closing troops from Iraq’s federal provinces closing 12 months beneath a 2024 settlement to regularly finish the anti-Islamic State coalition deployment. Below that deal, they’re scheduled to depart Erbil by means of this September. It’s unclear whether or not it’s going to meet this closing date or negotiate a brand new framework to retain a presence in Erbil.
The newest Inspector Common record famous that the coalition “temporarily suspended advisory support to the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and Peshmerga due to urgent protection issues and the Iranian threat” right through the conflict. Whilst “U.S. forces plan to resume their advisory support at the conclusion of OEF (Operation Epic Fury) as conditions permit,” it straight away famous that the “current memorandum of understanding for advisory support with the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs is due to expire in September.”
The record additionally famous that whilst counter-Islamic State operations with the Peshmerga had been disrupted by means of the conflict, the coalition nonetheless “coordinated with the Peshmerga throughout the quarter on air and missile defense and counter-Iran operations.”
If the coalition does utterly withdraw by means of September, Iraqi Kurdistan might to find itself extra uncovered to long term Iranian and defense force drone assaults, which can be a robust chance as evidenced by means of the truth that Iran has persisted continuously placing portions of Iraqi Kurdistan in spite of the April 8 ceasefire. Whilst the area may by no means realistically be expecting the U.S. to provide high-end anti-ballistic programs just like the Patriot, analysts consider cheaper drone defenses, such because the Coyote, is usually a extra possible possibility. However even right here, there’s no indication that Iraqi Kurdistan can safe the purchase of even short-range programs for the purpose protection of essential infrastructure reminiscent of airports and executive structures.
The 2024 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act integrated a provision “to equip and train Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to defend against attack by missiles, rockets, and unmanned systems.” Alternatively, no identified switch of air protection belongings to the Kurdish forces has took place.
Iraqi Kurdistan’s Top Minister Masrour Barzani highlighted his area’s pressing want for defenses in opposition to drones and missiles in February 2024. Through then, analysts defined how the NDAA’s provision to arm Iraq with an identical programs may in the end scupper any Kurdish acquisition, or a minimum of extend it indefinitely. Political parts in Baghdad dependable to Iran had been without a doubt satisfied to stall any Iraqi acquisition if it intended Iraqi Kurdistan couldn’t get any of those self same programs, which might neatly were exactly what came about. In spite of everything, because it’s now not an unbiased nation, Iraqi Kurdistan can not gain or acquire any complex army {hardware}, even purely defensive programs, with out Baghdad’s authorization.
And Iraqi Kurdistan undoubtedly can not rely at the central executive to offer air defenses if the coalition leaves. Throughout the conflict, because the Kurdish area confronted bombardments from Iran and Iraqi militias within the federal provinces, Iraq’s inside ministry introduced a freelance for anti-drone programs and specified it will now not lengthen this crucial defense to Erbil.
Extra normally, Iraq isn’t depending on The usa for its air protection. Baghdad has secured offers for medium-range Cheongung-II air protection missile programs from South Korea and short-range Korkut anti-aircraft weapons from Turkey, which might theoretically give you the nation with a layered protection in opposition to the entirety from low-flying drones to ballistic missiles. With those orders, Baghdad can forgo any American provision, particularly if it will spite Erbil’s efforts to safe even a restricted unbiased air protection capacity.
Nonetheless, robust Iran-aligned political factions in Baghdad would certainly wish to stymie any Iraqi Kurdish acquisition of air defenses. However, that doesn’t essentially imply Iraq gained’t in the end deploy some air defenses to give protection to essential infrastructure.
Iraq buys electrical energy from the self sufficient Kurdish area. Iraqi Kurdistan has radically stepped forward electrical energy provide to its citizens in the course of the Runaki, Kurdish for “light,” undertaking, which has in large part diminished its reliance on polluting diesel turbines. A lot of this provide is determined by fuel extracted from the Khor Mor box, which has come beneath repeated defense force rocket and drone assaults.
After a Would possibly 2024 assault, this house defined how Iraq’s Russian-made Pantsir-S1 programs may supply level protection for Khor Mor in opposition to such threats, securing power provides to each the self sufficient area and the federal provinces. No such deployment came about. Alternatively, after every other assault in November 2025, which interrupted 80 % of Iraqi Kurdistan’s electrical energy provide, an investigative committee commissioned by means of the central executive advisable setting up an built-in air protection gadget at Khor Mor coordinated between Baghdad and Erbil. A few of Iraq’s 20 new Korkuts may probably satisfy that position one day. Whether or not Baghdad has the political will to take action, although it will once more be in its self-interest, once more continues to be noticed.
Whilst it’s arguably clearer than ever that Iraqi Kurdistan urgently wishes air defenses, it stays similarly unclear the place or the way it can get them.
