Fire Erupts At Bahrain’s Largest Oil Refinery Amid Regional Tensions

A fire broke out at Bahrain’s Bapco oil refinery in Sitra after it was hit by a suspected Iranian drone strike amid rising tensions in the Gulf, authorities and local media reported on Monday.

The refinery, operated by Bapco Energies, is the largest oil processing facility in Bahrain. Thick smoke was seen rising from parts of the complex after the strike triggered a blaze within the refinery.

Bahrain’s state-owned energy company confirmed the incident and said it had declared force majeure on some operations following the attack, a legal measure that allows companies to suspend contractual obligations due to extraordinary circumstances affecting production or shipments.

Emergency response teams were deployed to contain the fire, while authorities began assessing the extent of the damage. Initial reports indicated that several civilians in nearby areas were injured in the broader attack, though no fatalities were immediately confirmed.

The strike comes amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, with strategic infrastructure across the Middle East increasingly becoming targets. A spokesman for a wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ebrahim Zolfighari, said the United States has opened a new chapter in the war by targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure. He warned regional American allies to stop supporting U.S. actions or risk further reprisals.

Officials in Bahrain said investigations were ongoing and that measures were being taken to ensure the stability of domestic fuel supplies despite the disruption at the refinery.