The Permanent Mission of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York submitted identical letters to the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council detailing the latest developments related to the unlawful drone attack carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain on April 5.
The attack targeted facilities belonging to the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and was part of a series of attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, industrial and oil facilities, and vital infrastructure in the Kingdom and other countries in the region. The letters constitute the thirteenth communication in a series of official correspondences concerning Iran’s blatant aggression against the Kingdom.
The letters warned that this flagrant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, breaches international law, and disregards the authority of the Security Council and Iran’s obligations under international law, including Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which demanded an immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The letters further stated that the attack constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution as stipulated in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.
The letters noted that the drone used in the attack directly targeted the ammonia tank at the company’s facility. They added that the danger of the attack was not limited to material damage but could have led to a widespread humanitarian and environmental disaster, were it not for the company’s swift intervention and proactive preventive measures, including the pre-emptive emptying of the ammonia tank. Any leak of the hazardous chemical could have spread for several kilometres, threatening the lives of citizens and residents in surrounding residential areas and causing significant loss of life and property.
The letters referred to the Ministry of Interior’s announcement on May 14 that all maintenance and technical remediation work had been completed and the damage to the facility fully contained, in accordance with the highest public safety and environmental security requirements and procedures. This included emptying the ammonia tank in which the Iranian drone remained lodged, posing a very serious threat to public safety and environmental security.
The letters also affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to public safety through the voluntary evacuation of a limited number of residents within a two-kilometre radius of the facility and the provision of alternative temporary housing. Residents were later able to return to their homes following the completion of all maintenance and repair work and the implementation of all necessary safety measures.
The letters stressed that the gravity of the attack is not measured solely by the extent of the direct material damage, but also by the potentially catastrophic consequences it could have had, including widespread human, environmental and material losses. The letters emphasised that Iran bears full international responsibility for the attack, including providing full compensation for all damages and losses incurred by the Kingdom. These include, but are not limited to, the extensive material damage to the company’s facilities resulting from the drone attack and the subsequent fires, as well as economic losses related to the company’s production and revenues, in addition to the broader economic damage suffered by the Kingdom.
The letters noted that the attack on GPIC facilities formed part of an ongoing campaign of Iranian attacks since February 28, using drones and missiles that deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and vital industrial facilities throughout the Kingdom.
The letters reaffirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s right to pursue all available legal avenues, including its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, and its right to seek full compensation for all damages and losses resulting from these unlawful attacks. The Kingdom of Bahrain will continue to document all damages and losses resulting from these attacks, including those targeting the GPIC facility, through the competent authorities, and will continue to keep the United Nations informed of any relevant developments.
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