In October 2026, Iraq closed its Sheeb border crossing with Iran to conduct security reviews and install detection equipment designed to curb smuggling

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A drone strike hit a gas storage unit at Iraq's Khor Mor gas field

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein confirmed that Iraqi officials remain engaged in discussions with the United States regarding demands to close Iranian border crossings

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the U.S. Treasury requested that Iraq close all border crossings with Iran except for two, with one exception located in the Kurdistan region, to increase economic pressure on Tehran

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on November 8, 2026, that the United States retains the right to defend its forces and regional shipping against clear Iranian threats

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein disclosed the U.S. border closure request during an interview with Al Jazeera broadcast on November 8, 2026

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled contracts at Mosul airport associated with armed groups as part of ongoing efforts to disarm Iranian-backed factions in Iraq

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the U.S. demand to shut Iran-Iraq border crossings forms part of Washington's broader policy of escalating economic pressure against Tehran

The Khor Mor gas field was previously targeted by rocket and drone attacks in December 2025, February 2025, and August 2023

The Khor Mor gas field is jointly operated by the United Arab Emirates-based firm Dana Gas, which previously halted production in July 2026 due to security threats before restarting operations later that month

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that Iraq's financial losses resulting from the war with Iran and associated oil export disruptions reached $60 billion

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Iraq reached understandings with the United States to permit Iraqi oil exports to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz via a dedicated shipping lane near Oman

The Kurdistan region's natural resources and electricity ministries issued a joint statement labeling the November 8, 2026 attack on Khor Mor as a terrorist attack

Iran has launched over 1,000 drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since February 2026, prompting regional leadership to request drone defense systems from Baghdad

Tehran has launched military attacks against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq

The shutdown of the Khor Mor gas field following the November 8, 2026 drone attack cut between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of power generation, leaving over 70 percent of Iraq's Kurdistan region without electricity

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on November 8, 2026, that diplomatic negotiations with Iran have made no progress due to unacceptable Iranian demands

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated in an Al Jazeera interview that shutting all border crossings with Iran would be difficult and damaging to Iraq's economy

The United States has long pressured Iraq to disarm Iran-backed groups

A pro-Iran Telegram channel claimed a drone was used in the November 8, 2026 attack on the Khor Mor gas field, though no official claim of responsibility was made

Abu Mujahid al-Assaf of the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah made comments on November 8, 2026, referencing Khor Mor and accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of incitement to target the facility