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Iraqi air defenses shot down three explosive-laden drones near the US consulate in Erbil on Tuesday evening, July 21, and the city's international airport halted all flights as blasts echoed across the area. Security sources told Reuters that the drones were intercepted close to the consulate in the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Erbil International Airport suspended all arriving and departing flights, according to airport director Ahmed Hoshyar, who said operations were paused because of the security situation. He said flights would resume once conditions stabilized, and service restarted after the immediate threat passed.
The launch fits a widening pattern of attacks on Erbil and the surrounding Kurdistan region during the current conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Air defenses have intercepted waves of drones over the city in recent days, and nearby airports have logged repeated cancellations and airspace closures. A drone struck Basra's oil terminal in southern Iraq earlier this month, briefly interrupting crude loadings.
Airspace over parts of Iraq and the Gulf has opened and closed with little warning through the conflict, disrupting commercial routes that normally link the region to Europe and the Gulf hubs. Erbil is a main gateway for aid workers, energy staff, and government personnel across Kurdistan, and short-notice closures there can strand travelers or force reroutes through congested land borders. The US mission in Iraq has urged American citizens to maintain heightened readiness and follow instructions from local authorities.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday's launch. Iranian-aligned armed factions in Iraq have carried out similar attacks on Erbil in the past, often striking sites linked to the US presence or the region's energy sector.
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