Iranian drones attack Iraqi KRG PM’s office: Officials

ERBIL

Two Iranian drones targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister’s office and the home of the autonomous region’s intelligence chief overnight, authorities said on Aug. 17, after a report claiming Erbil’s secret mediator role.

“Following an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit, my personal office and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by Iranian drone attacks earlier today,” Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said, in a post on X.

“This is a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan region.”

The regional Counter-Terrorism Directorate said there were no casualties in the attack.

The strikes came a day after Axios reported that the Trump administration spoke with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) by using Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani.

Trump confirms backchannel

In an interview with Fox New on Aug. 17, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration has established a direct backchannel with the IRGC but said he is in no hurry to bring the conflict to a close.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst of the IRGC.

“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry,” he added.

Since the start of the Middle East war, the Kurdistan region, which hosts U.S. troops and foreign oil firms as well as rebels exiled from Iran, has been targeted with more than 1,000 attacks by Tehran and pro-Iran armed groups inside Iraq.