#Bahrain says #Iran behind oil pipeline explosion https://t.co/JyIOZdGAu4 pic.twitter.com/56JqwNEfiC— The National World (@TheNatWorld) November 12, 2017
The National
written by Staff
Sunday November 12, 2017
Bahraini foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed said that Iran was responsible for an oil pipeline explosion at Buri, 14 kilometres south of Manama.
“The attempt to bomb the Saudi-Bahraini oil pipeline is a dangerous Iranian escalation that aims to scare citizens and hurt the global oil industry,” said Sheikh Khalid on Twitter on Saturday. He included in his tweet a hashtag in Arabic that read "Iran is targeting us all".
Bahrain said that the incident on Friday night was an intentional “act of terrorism” by sabotage.
Sheikh Khalid’s remarks echo that of Bahrain’s interior minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah, who said on Saturday: “The terrorist incidents that Bahrain has been witnessing recently are happening either through direct calls or guidance from Iran.”
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia resumed pumping oil to Bahrain after temporarily suspending activity, said the state-run Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco).
"Operations are under way to increase the refining output gradually, in co-operation with Aramco, upon completion of repairs soon," Bapco had said on Saturday.
Bahrain relies on the Abu Safa field, which it shares with neighbouring Saudi Arabia, for much of its oil pumped via the 230,000-barrel-per-day pipeline.
Saudi Arabia had beefed up security precautions at its facilities following the explosion.
"The attack on the pipeline … was followed by the suspension of the pumping of oil to the state of Bahrain," the Saudi ministry of energy, industry and mineral resources said.
The ministry of energy also confirmed that it has increased its security precautions at all its facilities, and that "all these facilities enjoy the highest levels of protection and safety”.
Arab countries — including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Egypt and Oman — condemned Friday’s incident, saying they stand firmly with Bahrain and against any form of terrorism and sabotage.
A Saudi foreign ministry source reiterated comments made by the Bahrain’s interior minister that recent terrorist acts in Bahrain have been a “direct” result of Iranian aggression, reported state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
''The UAE condemns this cowardly terrorist act, which seeks to undermine the security of the kingdom of Bahrain,'' said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said: “This cowardly act will not be successful in rocking the security and stability of the brotherly kingdom of Bahrain.”
Oman said that it completely supports Bahrain and any measures it may take to "combat all forms of sabotage and terrorism that target innocent people", reported the state-run Oman News agency.
Bahrain said Tehran is funding militant cells in the small kingdom and had a part in stoking the 2011 anti-government protests, which were led by the country’s Shiite majority.
Demonstrations began in February and were suppressed in March. Saudi troops and Emirati police officers were called to help provide security.
Spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry Bahram Ghassemi denied on Sunday that Tehran was behind the explosion.
Meanwhile, a Bahraini opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, will face trial later this month for "spying" for Qatar, with which Bahrain has cut all ties over its support of extremist groups and friendly relations with Iran.
Last month, 10 men were handed life sentences by a Bahraini court on charges of plotting attacks. Three of them were sentenced in absentia after fleeing to Iran. This was a day after 19 people received lengthy prison terms for similar charges.
In March, Bahrain said it uncovered a 54-member Iranian-linked militant group suspected of involvement in attacks on security forces, including organising a prison break in January.
Saudi Arabia tightens security at oil facilities after #Bahrain pipeline attack https://t.co/jdvg60dcZn pic.twitter.com/eBpronkdqa— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 12, 2017
Al Arabiya News, Saudi Arabia
written by Saudi Gazette, Riyadh and Reuters staff
Sunday November 12, 2017
The Saudi Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources has tightened security at all its oil facilities following the Bahrain pipeline attack, it announce on Saturday.
It also suspended pumping oil to Bahrain after the attack on the crude oil pipeline.
The Energy Ministry also condemned this as a "cowardly act."
Saudi Aramco said no casualties were reported in the incident.
The area of incident was sealed, people were evacuated and valves connected to this pipeline were isolated, it said.
Investigations are in progress.
Meanwhile, an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of the blast that led to a fire in the oil pipeline near Buri area in Bahrain.
The Foreign Ministry said the statement of the Bahraini government confirmed that “the terrorist incidents Bahrain is witnessing recently are being carried out via contacts and directives directly from Iran.”
The official source reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the acts of sabotage and terror being perpetrated by Iran in order to destabilize the region and its security and the safety of its citizens and expatriates.
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Abdullateef Al-Zayani also strongly condemned the intentional blast that occurred on Friday near Buri Island in Bahrain that targeted an oil pipeline.
Al-Zayani described it as a dangerous terrorist crime that exposes the higher interests of Bahrain to danger and terrorizes the peaceful citizens of Bahrain and its expatriates.
He said that this is a serious development in the method of carrying out criminal acts by terrorist organizations receiving directives and support from Iran.
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