Letters outlining the latest developments related to the Iranian drone attacks on Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) facilities on April 5 have been submitted by Bahrain’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The attack was part of a series of strikes targeting civilian infrastructure since February 28, including industrial and oil facilities and vital services in the kingdom and other countries in the region.
The identical letters – addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council president – constitute the 13th in a series of official communications concerning Iran’s actions against Bahrain.
They warned that this flagrant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also disregard the authority of the Security Council and Iran’s obligations under international law, including Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which called for an immediate cessation of all such attacks.
The letters stated that a drone had directly struck an ammonia tank at the GPIC facility, highlighting that the risk went far beyond material damage and could have escalated into a major humanitarian and environmental crisis. Any leak of the hazardous chemical could have spread over several kilometres, threatening nearby residential areas and potentially causing significant loss of life and property.
However, the company’s swift intervention and preventive measures, including the pre-emptive emptying of the ammonia tank, helped avert what could have been a major incident.
The letters also referred to the Interior Ministry’s May 14 announcement confirming that all maintenance and technical work had been completed and that the damage was fully contained, in line with public safety and environmental protection standards. This included safely emptying the ammonia tank in which the drone had remained lodged, posing a serious risk.
They reaffirmed the kingdom’s commitment to public safety, noting that a limited number of residents within a two-kilometre radius of the facility were temporarily evacuated and provided with alternative accommodation. Residents were later able to return following the completion of repair works and the implementation of all necessary safety measures.
The letters stressed that Iran bears full responsibility for the attack and is obliged to provide compensation for all damages and losses incurred by Bahrain. These include material damage to the facility, losses related to production and revenue, as well as broader economic impacts suffered by the kingdom.
Finally, the letters reaffirmed Bahrain’s right to pursue all available legal avenues, including its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, and its right to seek full compensation.
Bahrain will continue to document all damages, including those affecting the GPIC facility, and keep the United Nations informed of relevant developments, they added.
The GDN reported in April that GPIC confirmed a number of its operational units were subject to an attack by Iranian drones in the early hours of the morning. The attack triggered fires across the affected units. All fires were fully extinguished and the situation was quickly brought under control. No casualties were reported.
Last month, the Interior Ministry announced the completion of all maintenance and damage remediation works at the facility.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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