Iran’s tit-for-tat attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE

WEST ASIA CRISIS | IRGC claims that strikes on civilian power, water, oil sites in Gulf were in retaliation to strike on its bridge

World Desk Mumbai

Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Gulf have intensified with Kuwait suffering the heaviest strikes in the past 24 hours.

The country’s Electricity and Water Ministry confirmed that two power generation and water desalination plants were hit, causing “significant material damage” and the shutdown of two generation units. Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have also experienced a flurry of attacks targeting energy and other infrastructure.

UAE confirms 3 fires at Borouge plant 

The Abu Dhabi Media Office has confirmed the attack on the Borouge petrochemicals plant. Falling debris caused three fires. No injuries were reported. “Operations at the plant have been immediately suspended pending a damage assessment,” it said. 

Bahrain refinery hit

A fire broke out at the Gulf Petrochemicals Industries Company in Bahrain, multiple operational facilities at the plant caught fire as well as an oil tank at one of the state-owned companies BAPCO Energies, a storage facility there, was hit in two separate attacks. Bahrain Petroleum Company confirmed a fuel tank in one of storage facilities was targeted by a drone. 

desalination, power infra hit in Kuwait

There were attacks on two power and water desalination plants. Two power generation units were taken off the grid. In Kuwait, 90% of the drinking water comes from desalination plants. 

Fatima Abbas Johar Hayat, a spokesperson for Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, said the “criminal aggression” caused “serious material damage” overnight to the two plants and the outage of two electricity-generating units.

Other drone attacks caused a fire at the Shuwaikh Oil Sector Complex and “significant damage” to a government office complex. 

Also, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported “significant material losses” after an Iranian drone attack on several of its facilities. More than 6,000 missiles and drones have targeted the Gulf so far, including 1,000+ in Kuwait.

Saudi intercepts projectiles

In Saudi Arabia, there was the interception of projectiles, according to the defence ministry, a cruise missile, and that was all in the morning.

IRGC claims attacks

In a statement in Iranian media, the Revolutionary Guard said Sunday's wave of attacks on petrochemical plants in Bahrain and Kuwait was in retaliation for US-Israel strikes on a bridge in Karaj, a city west of Tehran, and petrochemical industries, in a tit-for-tat move. 

If more attacks on civilian targets are repeated, a second wave of launches would be carried out “more forcefully and extensively,” it said.

UAE intercepts 10 missiles, 50 drones

The UAE’s defence ministry said its air defence forces intercepted nine ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 50 drones from Iran. No casualties or injuries were reported in the past 24 hours.

Since February 28, the Emirates have intercepted: 507 ballistic missiles, 24 cruise missiles, 2,191 drones, Two members of its armed forces and 10 civilians have been killed, it added.

OPEC+ concerned 

An OPEC+ panel meeting on Sunday expressed concern over attacks on energy assets, saying these are expensive and time-consuming to repair and have an impact on supplies, a statement said.

“The committee highlighted the critical importance of safeguarding international maritime routes to ensure the uninterrupted flow of energy,” it said.