Explosion in Bahrain that left 32 injured was caused by US-operated air defense, agency says

Analysis: how long should the war in the Middle East last? An explosion that left 32 injured in Bahrain in the early days of the Middle East war was likely caused by an air defense operated by the United States, and not by Iranian bombing, according to the Reuters news agency. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The discovery, discovered by academic researchers at the Middlebury Institute and analyzed by Reuters, contradicts the official version given by the governments of Bahrain and the USA, which blamed Iran for the explosion. According to the independent investigation, a Patriot air defense battery operated by the US — an ally of the Bahrainis — likely fired an interceptor missile that was involved in the nighttime explosion in the Mahazza neighborhood, on the island of Sitra, south of the capital Manama. The incident destroyed houses and left injured, including children and some in serious condition. For researchers, the missile came from a North American Patriot battery about 7 km from the site. The analysis was based on commercial satellite images and videos. One of them classified the conclusions as “practically indisputable”. A video reviewed by Reuters shows the missile flying at low altitude before descending and exploding in the air. (See above) The neighborhood neighbors Bahrain’s largest oil refinery, the facility in Al Ma’ameer, which was hit by an Iranian drone around the same time as the explosion in Mahazza. Iran’s attack came amid a wave of retaliations against Middle Eastern countries that host US bases. Smoke rises after an attack on the Bapco oil refinery in Sitra, Bahrain, on March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Contacted by Reuters, neither Bahrain nor the US admitted the error. On Saturday, the Bahraini government acknowledged for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion in Mahazza, and that the projectile successfully intercepted an Iranian drone in the air, saving lives. However, he denied that the damage to the residential neighborhood was caused by the Patriot or the drone. The US Army said it “never targets civilians”. Despite the justifications, neither Bahrain nor the US presented evidence that an Iranian drone was involved in the incident. Both Bahrain and the US operate Patriot systems in the country, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Produced by Raytheon, the Patriot system is the U.S. Army’s primary medium- and long-range missile and aircraft interception system.

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