Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has strongly condemned recent drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region, labeling them as "terrorist acts" and pledging close cooperation with Kurdish authorities and the international coalition to bring the perpetrators to justice.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, al-Sudani addressed the escalating wave of drone strikes that have struck critical oil facilities in recent weeks. While Kurdish officials have pointed fingers at factions within the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Baghdad has not yet publicly attributed blame.

"These attacks are terrorist acts," al-Sudani stated. "We are working closely with the Kurdistan Regional Government and coalition partners to determine who is responsible and to ensure they are held accountable."

His remarks come amid growing concerns over the federal government’s ability to rein in powerful armed factions, many of which maintain close ties to Tehran. The attacks have further strained relations between Baghdad and Erbil while raising fears of renewed instability in Iraq’s energy sector.

The prime minister also addressed the case of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian academic who went missing in Baghdad in 2023 and is believed to be held by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia. Al-Sudani acknowledged international concerns over her detention and confirmed that negotiations, mediated by the U.S., are ongoing.

"We know that the [Israeli] government had a policy and still does of expanding the war in the region," he said. "Therefore, we made sure not to give any justification to any party to target Iraq."

He added that his government has engaged with Iranian leadership, urging de-escalation and a return to diplomatic dialogue to prevent further regional turmoil.

Looking ahead, al-Sudani confirmed that Iraq and the U.S. will hold high-level talks by the end of the year to redefine their bilateral security relationship. He also expressed hopes for increased American investment in Iraq’s energy and artificial intelligence sectors, which he said could bolster long-term stability and economic growth.

The prime minister reiterated that the presence of coalition forces in Iraq has been exploited by some armed groups to justify their continued militarization.

"Once the coalition withdrawal is complete, there will be no justification for any group to carry weapons outside the scope of the state," he asserted.