Bahrain's worst fear has come true! The country's largest industrial zone was bombed! On March 9, foreign media reported that a fire broke out in the Al-Muharraq area, south of Bahrain's capital Manama, after an Iranian attack. Al-Muharraq is the location of Bahrain's largest industrial zone, which includes the Bahrain Petroleum Company's refinery and numerous factories. After the attack, Bahrain Petroleum Company announced that its operations were affected by force majeure, and the attack had impacted one of the refining facilities within the industrial park.
Evidently, from Bahrain's perspective, such an attack could shake the very foundation of Bahrain's economy. As one of the earliest oil-producing countries in the Gulf region, refining and exporting oil are the core of Bahrain's energy economy, and the Al-Muharraq industrial zone houses the most critical refining capacity and petrochemical industry chain in Bahrain. Once this area is shut down, it will not only directly cut off the main source of the country's finances but also trigger a chain reaction.
The first to be affected is that Bahrain will no longer be able to fulfill its already signed supply contracts, leading to large-scale defaults on overseas orders. This situation undoubtedly leaves the Bahraini royal family in a state of panic. As the base of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, Bahrain had thought that clinging to the United States would bring absolute security, but instead, it became the front-line target for Iran's retaliation. The protection provided by the United States did not bring safety, but rather brought a fierce strike, which was certainly unexpected by Bahrain. Such an attack undoubtedly questions Bahrain's foreign policy. If Bahrain continues to unilaterally favor the U.S., the losses it suffers will surely be even greater.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859173638706314/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.