Iran Targets Bahrain's Biggest Oil Refinery Bapco, Company Declares 'Force Majeure'

Manama: A major oil facility in Bahrain was reportedly hit by an Iranian drone strike on Monday amid the rapidly escalating West Asia war.  The strike hit the refinery operated by Bapco Energies on Sitra island, south of the capital Manama. The company later declared force majeure on its group operations following the attack on the refinery complex.

Visuals showing thick plumes of smoke rising from the oil facility were widely circulated on social media platforms.

“A fire broke out at a unit of the Bapco Energies refinery following an Iranian missile strike,"  Bahrain's National Communication Centre reportedly said in a statement. It added that the fire had been contained soon. According to reports, the Ministry of Health of Bahrain announced that an Iranian drone attack targeting Sitra early Monday led to 32 civilians being injured. The state news agency of Bahrain reported that four individuals among the casualties are in critical condition, including children who require surgery.

The Bapco facility is among Bahrain’s most important energy assets and plays a key role in the country’s refining and petroleum export capacity. Bapco Energies said that despite the incident, domestic fuel supplies remain secure. “All domestic market needs remain fully secured and supplies will continue without disruption, supported by proactive plans in place,” the company said.

This comes after an Iranian ballistic missile had struck Bahrain’s main oil refinery earlier, triggering large fires at one of the Gulf nation’s most critical energy facilities. The Ministry of Interior of Bahrain on Sunday had also claimed that Iran attacked civilian targets in a water desalination plant after a drone attack.

The escalating West Asia war was triggered after the US and Israel jointly launched airstrikes into the Iranian territory on February 28, targeting its top leadership and military bases. It led to the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei bringing a nearly 40-year era to an abrupt closure. It has been 10 days since the war began altering the geopolitical situation in the region. This reported attack on the Bapco oil refinery came as Iran selected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei as the nation's Supreme Leader. 

Also read: Iran’s New Supreme Leader, Rising Death Toll, Oil Shock: Where Things Stand As US-Israel-Iran War Enters Day 10