Bahrain has affirmed its full support and solidarity with Qatar following an Iranian missile attack last night on a US base in the neighbouring country.
His Majesty King Hamad held a telephone call with the Amir of Qatar, Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and strongly condemned the action.
He described it as a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, and a clear breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
His Majesty affirmed that Bahrain stands ready to provide all necessary support to Qatar in any measures it undertakes.
The Foreign Ministry expressed similar comments, emphasising that the arms of solidarity stemmed from the deep-rooted bonds among GCC states.
It added that Bahrain underscored the importance of collective unity during this critical period, calling for ‘concerted efforts to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and resolve disputes through peaceful means’.
Iran launched missiles towards the Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar to retaliate against US strikes on its nuclear sites. All were intercepted and no injuries were reported.
With apparent co-ordinated advanced warning to avoid casualties many military observers hope this may be the beginning of the end of the crisis, although tension across the region in recent days has been high.
Bahrain temporarily suspended its airspace as a precautionary measure ‘in light of recent regional developments’. It was reopened later in the evening, the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry’s Civil Aviation Affairs confirmed.
“The relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation around the clock in co-ordination with international partners, emphasising the importance of adhering to official directives to ensure safety,” said a ministry statement.
Airspaces were also temporarily closed across the rest of the GCC, with flights to and from Kuwait and the UAE, for example, reportedly temporarily cancelled.
Shortly after 7pm last night, sirens went off across the kingdom in Muharraq, Gudaibiya, Riffa, Sanad, Adliya and Manama, as sounds of several explosions were heard over Doha as the Iranian missiles were intercepted.
Despite a recent trial run, the sirens caused concern among residents, particularly those living near the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Juffair, with several families seen evacuating apartments with their personal belongings and moving to other locations.
The sirens later went off a second time to inform people that any danger had passed.
The Interior Ministry, which impressively updated its social media platforms during the crucial hours, said that the warning sirens were sounded at 7.37pm ‘following the detection of unidentified objects in the Bahrain airspace’.
“It was later confirmed that the objects were heading out of the national airspace,” added the ministry.
The ministry also urged motorists in Bahrain to give way to emergency vehicles, such as Civil Defence, ambulances, traffic and security patrol vehicles, to enable them to perform their duties if needed.
Official guidelines also urged people to tune in to official radio and television channels for verified updates and guidance, and, if the situation escalated, to seek shelter in the nearest building or take cover in a secure, enclosed area until the authorities announced that it was safe.
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