Iran Strikes Gulf States As Christians Voice Fears (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JERUSALEM/MANAMA/TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iran launched new attacks on Gulf Arab countries Tuesday as strikes that began last week have killed at least seven people and injured more than 120 others, heightening fears among foreign residents, including minority Christians, Worthy News learned.

The assaults came after Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that not “a single liter of oil” would leave the Persian Gulf amid the ongoing U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.

Regional officials indicated that several Gulf states were targeted, raising concerns that the war could spread further across the strategically vital energy corridor.

Authorities in Bahrain confirmed that the island nation, which hosts the United States Fifth Fleet, was struck by three missiles and a drone.

One projectile hit a residential building in the capital Manama, killing a 29-year-old Bahraini woman and injuring eight others, according to the Interior Ministry.

STRIKE HITS BAHRAIN CAPITAL

The incident marked one of the most serious strikes on the kingdom since tensions between Iran and Israel sharply escalated in recent weeks.

The violence has heightened fears among foreign residents, including Christians working in the Gulf.

“I always hear sirens here,” explained Maretis, a Filipino Christian domestic worker living in Bahrain who spoke with Worthy News.

“Starting around one o’clock until morning, I can hear sirens here,” she said. “That is why I am always praying.”

Worthy News withheld her full identity due to security concerns.

CHRISTIANS AMONG FOREIGN WORKERS

Bahrain hosts an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Christians, most of them expatriates from countries such as the Philippines, India, and several African and European nations.

A small number of Bahraini citizens are also believed to be Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.

Maretis noted that the violence has made daily life difficult, including attending church services in Manama.

“Police always remind people to go home and not go anywhere because of the ongoing violence,” she added.

Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia reported destroying two drones over its oil-rich eastern region.

ATTACKS ACROSS THE GULF

It happened while Kuwait confirmed that its National Guard shot down six drones, highlighting the widening scope of the conflict.

Officials warned that continued assaults could threaten shipping routes and critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf.

The United Arab Emirates reported that at least six people were killed and 122 others wounded in Iranian attacks since the start of the U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign against Iran on February 28.

Emirati authorities also battled a fire in the industrial city of Ruwais, home to major petrochemical facilities, after a drone strike.

OIL INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETED

A source familiar with the situation said a blaze broke out within facilities operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

The company reportedly shut its refinery at the complex as a precautionary measure amid growing concerns over energy infrastructure security. The Ruwais industrial complex can process up to 922,000 barrels of oil per day, making it one of the most important refining hubs in the Gulf, according to experts.

Industry monitor IIR Energy indicated that ADNOC halted operations at a major crude distillation unit at its 417,000-barrel-per-day Ruwais Refinery 2, while earlier reducing production at another refinery because of the escalating regional armed conflict.

The latest assaults highlight the widening geographic scope of the war as Iran targets Gulf states hosting U.S. forces or vital oil infrastructure.

Security analysts warn that further escalation could threaten global energy supplies and the safety of millions of foreign workers across the Gulf region, including thousands of Christians.

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