New york: Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a press briefing at United Nations Headquarters ahead of the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, convened at the request of the Kingdom of Bahrain to discuss Iran's repeated attacks against the Kingdom, including the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure, residential areas, and other civilian facilities.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the Foreign Minister noted that this is the second time the Security Council has convened an emergency session in response to this pattern of attacks. The first followed the targeting of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates, which brought the region to the edge of a nuclear-safety disaster.
He stressed that Iran's recent attacks are not isolated incidents. Since 28 February, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been subjected to hundreds of missile and drone attacks targeting residential neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure relied upon by the Bahraini people in their daily lives. The attacks have claimed three lives and injured hundreds of civilians, including women and children. He added that other Gulf Cooperation Council member states have also faced similar attacks.
The Foreign Minister underscored the grave nature of these attacks, noting that one strike hit an ammonia storage tank at the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, located within a densely populated residential area. The incident required the evacuation of residents within a two-kilometre radius and came close to causing a major chemical disaster. He also referred to attacks that occurred near Kuwait International Airport, emphasising that these sites are not military targets but essential civilian infrastructure.
He stated that the Security Council meeting extends beyond the Kingdom of Bahrain itself. It concerns the principles of the United Nations Charter, the protection of civilians, and the authority of the Security Council, whose Resolution 2817 condemned these attacks and called for their immediate cessation. Despite that, the attacks have continued.
The Foreign Minister reaffirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain's commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability. He stressed that Bahrain will continue to exercise restraint while fully preserving its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He called for an immediate end to the attacks, the implementation of Security Council resolutions and full respect for international obligations.