Bahrain Imposes Maritime Curfew in Response to Iranian Attacks
The Kingdom of Bahrain announced on Sunday, March 29, that it is imposing a nightly curfew on all maritime activities. The Ministry of the Interior said it was in the interest of seafarers amid the blatant Iranian aggression.
An island nation in the western Persian Gulf, Bahrain is strategically located between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Before the start of hostilities, the U.S. maintained a naval base in the Kingdom, including the homeport for the U.S. Coast Guard vessels assigned to the region. It is also home to the command for the joint military forces in the region.
The Ministry said the ban was starting immediately and would run until further notice. It is nightly from 1800 to 0400 and includes all vessels. They said it extends to the maritime movement of seafarers using fishing and leisure vessels. It is an extension of the previous rules regulating maritime movement.
Bahrain's exclusion zone for the nightly curfew (Ministry of the Interior)
It is urging all seafarers to comply with the maritime ban. They are being instructed to avoid approaching the coast of Bahrain. It said the measure was to ensure the safety of seafarers and avoid legal liability. It said it would enhance maritime safety and raise preparedness.
Iran has reportedly increased its attacks against neighboring countries that it says support the United States and Israel. The Bahrain Defence Force updated statistics on March 29, reporting that air defenses have intercepted and destroyed 175 ballistic missiles and 391 drones targeting their country. This is up from a report of 124 missiles and 203 drones on March 15 and a report of 153 missiles and 301 drones on March 24.
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On Sunday, Iran’s attacks included the operations of Aluminium Bahrain and Emirates Global Aluminium. According to Al Jazeera, Aluminium Bahrain reported that two employees were injured in the attack on its facility, while the UAE’s Emirates Global Aluminium said one of its sites in Abu Dhabi suffered significant damage, and six people were injured.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said on Sunday morning that it had intercepted 10 drones. The Kuwaiti National Guard said it shot down four additional drones. This comes after Oman and Saturday reported that one of the large cranes used to service containerships at the Port of Salalah had been damaged. Operations at the port were suspended while damage assessments were underway.
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