Oil and gas production across Iraq’s northern Kurdish region has been suspended after attacks targeted energy facilities, the regional government said Sunday.
In a statement, the Kurdish Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources said all oil and gas fields, refineries and energy facilities in the region had been targeted by "outlaw militias."
These "terrorist attacks" resulted in the full suspension of production, preventing any quantities of oil from being available for export, the ministry added.
It criticized the central government in Baghdad, saying authorities there have not taken effective measures to deter the attacks or prevent them from occurring.
According to the statement, the regional government has not seen any concrete or deterrent steps taken so far to halt the "blatant attacks."
The attacks come as regional tensions have raged since Israel and the U.S. launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting "U.S. military assets."
