Fresh attacks by Iran on energy infrastructure across the Gulf have heightened fears of global oil supply disruptions, sending crude prices sharply higher and rattling financial markets.
According to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Iranian forces launched new strikes on Monday, including an attack on a petroleum complex in Bahrain.
The strike hit the Al Ma’ameer oil facility, triggering a fire and forcing the state-owned energy firm Bapco to declare force majeure, a legal clause used when companies cannot meet contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.
In a statement, Bapco said it had “served notice of force majeure on its group operations which have been affected by the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East and the recent attack on its refinery complex.”
Energy producers in Qatar and Kuwait had earlier made similar declarations, warning that the escalating conflict could prevent them from meeting export targets.
The attacks have sent shockwaves through global markets.
Oil prices surged to their highest level since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, while Asian stock markets plunged as investors reacted to fears of prolonged instability in the Middle East.
Authorities across the Gulf region have been scrambling to manage the fallout from the continued missile and drone strikes.
In Qatar, officials said more than 300 people were arrested for sharing images and what authorities described as “misleading information” during the attacks.
The latest escalation follows an evacuation order issued by the United States Department of State, which directed non-emergency U.S. government staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to growing security risks.
Last week, drones struck the United States Embassy in Riyadh, while U.S. diplomatic missions in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates also reported damage from drone attacks.
Meanwhile, Bahraini authorities said another Iranian drone strike overnight targeted the island of Sitra, injuring 32 people, including several children.
The country’s health ministry confirmed that four victims sustained serious injuries, among them a 17-year-old girl with severe head and eye injuries and a two-month-old baby.
In Doha, AFP journalists reported hearing multiple explosions on Monday as Qatar intercepted incoming drones and missiles. Qatar’s defence ministry said its forces successfully intercepted a missile attack.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry announced that air defence systems shot down two waves of drones heading toward the Shaybah oil field in the country’s southeast.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates also confirmed that their air defence systems responded to a missile threat, while Kuwait reported another round of missile and drone attacks following earlier strikes on Sunday.
The Gulf region has become a key theatre of retaliation after the United States and Israel launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran on February 28, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Since Iran began its retaliatory attacks, at least 21 people have been killed in the Gulf, including 10 civilians and seven U.S. service members.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that the Islamic Republic “will be forced to respond” against neighbouring countries if their territories are used to launch attacks against Iran.
