On 12/3, Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced that oil facilities in Muharraq province, in the country's north, were hit by a barrage of missiles launched from Iran, calling it "blatant aggression" by Tehran.
Bahraini media images showed large plumes of smoke rising from the oil facility, with firefighters battling blazes at the oil tanks.
Bahraini officials also urged residents in Al-Hidd, Arad, Qalali, and Samaheej to "stay indoors, close windows and vents to prevent exposure to smoke from the ongoing fire suppression efforts."
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Firefighters extinguishing a blaze at an industrial area attacked by Iran in Ma'ameer, Bahrain, on 9/3. *Photo: AP*
Farhan Al-Fartousi, head of the Iraqi Ports Corporation, stated on the same day that the country's oil ports had completely ceased operations following an attack on a fuel tanker. However, commercial ports continued to operate.
Al-Fartousi added that the tanker attack resulted in the death of one crew member, while 38 people were rescued. He noted that the search for missing individuals was ongoing.
Iraqi port security officials previously reported that two foreign oil tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil caught fire after being attacked by Iranian unmanned suicide boats laden with explosives. Al-Fartousi stated that these tankers were located approximately 48 km off the Iraqi coast.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously warned that any vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz could become a target. This is seen as part of Iran's strategy to directly strike the Middle East's energy lifeline, thereby pressuring the United States and Israel to end the conflict.
The Middle East has been embroiled in conflict since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on 28/2. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Israel and US bases in Arab countries in the region. The clashes have resulted in approximately 2,000 fatalities, primarily in Iran, and have affected many regional nations.
Ngoc Anh (According to CNN, AFP)
