The story: Amid rising criticism of the Gaza war from a series of actors in Baghdad, Iraqi Kurdistan finds itself in an awkward position. Shiite armed groups in Iraq have warned that they will target US forces if Washington directly intervenes in Gaza or if Israel “expands the battlefield.” Against this backdrop, a series of attacks on American bases have already been reported. Given that Iraqi Kurdistan hosts two such bases—and mindful of Erbil’s own disputes with Shiite actors—domestic contentions in Iraq could be accentuated by the wider regional context.

The coverage: On Oct. 18 and again on Oct. 20, an entity referring to itself as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” reportedly attempted drone attacks on Harir Air Base, located 70 km (44 miles) outside Erbil. Both strikes failed to...