Iranian drone strikes hit Iraq’s Kurdistan, targeting US consulate and ammo depots

On 17 July 2026, Iranian drones and missiles carried out a series of attacks across Iraq’s semi‑autonomous Kurdistan Region. Explosions were reported in the town of Tasluja near Sulaymaniyah after a drone‑laden strike hit a weapons depot, causing ammunition to detonate and injuring civilians. A separate drone attack hit an ammunition warehouse in the same area, sparking a large fire.

In Erbil, four explosive‑laden drones approaching the U.S. consulate were intercepted and shot down by U.S.–led coalition forces; no casualties were reported at the consulate. Kurdish authorities also downed eight bomb‑laden drones over Erbil in the early‑morning hours.

The strikes killed nine members of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (an Iranian Kurdish opposition group) and wounded several others, according to the group’s spokesperson. Kurdish Regional Government officials condemned the attacks as “unjustified,” urging Iran to cease the operations and calling on the Iraqi federal government and the international community to respond.

The incidents occur amid heightened Iran‑U.S. tensions and have raised concerns about the security of foreign diplomatic facilities and rebel bases in the region.