In mid-July 2025, media outlets reported that oil fields in Iraq’s Kurdistan region were subjected to drone attacks, which led to a temporary halt in production. In fact, this was not the first time oil and gas fields in different parts of the world had been targeted through the use of modern technology. Two notable incidents can be mentioned here:

1. The attack on two facilities owned by Saudi Aramco in Abqaiq and Khurais in September 2019, carried out by drones, which resulted in reduced oil production at these fields.
2. The employment of such technology in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war since its outbreak in 2022.

At the outset, it should be noted that discussions on threats to energy security are not new. Many studies over the past decades have documented such threats, revealing that more than 40% of cyberattacks in the Middle East target oil and gas facilities. The negative use of technology is also not new. However, what is particularly significant is the growing link between modern technology and threats to oil and gas infrastructure. This has three key implications:

1. Crimes involving the use of technology to threaten the security of other states are transnational, making it extremely difficult to identify perpetrators. This represents a major challenge, especially as there are still no international agreements addressing such crimes.
2. Targeting oil and gas facilities and disrupting their operations threatens the national security of countries, particularly those that rely heavily on these resources as a primary source of national income.
3. These attacks inflict massive losses while requiring very minimal costs from non-state actors.

Undoubtedly, such threats are closely linked to regional instability and conflicts in neighboring countries. Non-state actors find in this technology an ideal opportunity to challenge state authority, given how easily accessible it has become. Indeed, technology has become a major factor in prolonging conflicts worldwide and increasing their intensity.

In response to this challenge, some countries have started using technology to protect their oil facilities. For instance, Algeria announced a plan to protect the In Amenas gas field through smart surveillance cameras, drones, and electronic monitoring systems for pipelines and surrounding areas. It is worth mentioning that this field was attacked in 2013 by a terrorist group that had infiltrated across the border; the Algerian army neutralized the group after a three-day siege, during which 40 workers and 39 militants were killed. Meanwhile, other countries have started conducting simulated exercises (“war-gaming”) to prepare for technological attacks on energy infrastructure, assessing capabilities, threats, and gaps to ensure proper preventive measures.

Despite the importance of these national efforts, there is an urgent need for international cooperation to limit the negative use of technology—not only against energy infrastructure but also against other vital facilities. Energy security is critical for all countries, both producers and those controlling transportation routes. Traditionally, energy security threats were countered by establishing military alliances—the Arabian Gulf region being an example. Today, however, it is difficult to rely solely on military alliances to face these new types of threats.

In my assessment, confronting this challenge requires three parallel tracks:

1. National level: Countries must employ technology to protect vital infrastructure, which also involves efforts to localize and develop technological capabilities.
2. Regional level: One of the key lessons from regional conflicts lasting over a decade is the urgent need to resolve such conflicts, given that non-state actors now possess and employ such technologies in these confrontations.
3. International cooperation: Whether through the United Nations or joint efforts among nations, there is a pressing need to regulate and rationalize the use of technology in military applications.

Although parties to conflicts often aim for “coordinated military responses,” meaning vital and energy facilities are not deliberately targeted, military confrontations in conflict zones have nevertheless confirmed that some energy facilities are attacked, even if unintentionally.

The rapid pace of technological development, the absence of international agreements criminalizing the use of such technology to threaten state security, and the growing competition among states to acquire these capabilities are three factors that make it imperative for the international community to develop mechanisms to confront these shared threats. This urgency has reached a level where one can argue for the necessity of forming cyber alliances and electronic armies, which are no less important than traditional military alliances, especially given the ability of armed groups to completely disrupt the operations of vital infrastructure.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.