Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the recent Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting populated civilian areas in the Kingdom of Bahrain are not isolated incidents, but part of a sustained campaign of repeated attacks that began on 28 February and have continued to the present day, including after the signing of the U.S.–Iran Memorandum of Understanding.

Addressing the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, convened at the request of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Foreign Minister called on the Council to reaffirm its condemnation of Iran's repeated attacks, require the Iranian regime to cease them immediately, ensure full compliance with Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) and its obligations under international law, and establish an effective mechanism for implementation and accountability.

The Foreign Minister stated that Bahrain had requested the emergency session in recognition of the Security Council's primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and in the expectation that the Council, which had already condemned Iran's attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council member states and Jordan in Resolution 2817 (2026), would not remain a bystander in the face of such a blatant challenge to its authority.

He noted that Bahrain, one of the world's most densely populated countries, has extensive overlap between industrial facilities, critical infrastructure, and residential communities. Since the beginning of the conflict, the Kingdom has been subjected to 808 attacks, including 203 ballistic missiles and 605 drones.

The Foreign Minister said the attacks deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, critical facilities, and residential areas, killing three civilians and injuring 465 others, including women and children. He stressed that, without the precautionary measures taken by the relevant authorities, the human toll could have been significantly higher. Beyond the casualties and physical damage, he said, the attacks terrorised civilians, spread fear among the population, and disrupted daily life, which is a conduct prohibited under international humanitarian law.

He added that the precision and repeated targeting of specific civilian sites demonstrate that these attacks were neither random nor accidental, but deliberate, premeditated, and carried out as part of a systematic campaign.

Rejecting claims that the attacks were directed at military targets, the Minister questioned the justification for striking a desalination plant, residential neighbourhoods, civilian facilities, and other essential infrastructure. He noted that Bahrain has documented every attack since it occurred and submitted official communications, supported by comprehensive evidence, to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, leaving no room for allegations of exaggeration or politicisation.

He also informed the Council that Bahrain had circulated visual documentation showing damage to vital industrial facilities, residential buildings, and civilian and educational facilities in the Diplomatic Area. While representing only a portion of the overall damage, the material clearly demonstrates the deliberate targeting of civilians rather than military objectives, as Iran claims.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the 5 April drone attack on operational units at the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company in Sitra, which struck an ammonia storage tank located within a densely populated residential area. He said that, had authorities not acted in advance to empty the tank, the release of toxic gas could have caused a major humanitarian disaster. The incident required the evacuation of residents within a two-kilometre precautionary zone. He stressed that targeting a facility containing hazardous materials in a civilian area amounts to a war crime – a legal characterisation publicly affirmed by national authorities – and is expressly prohibited under Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions.

He further warned that Iran's continuing attacks, carried out directly and through its proxies, threaten not only Bahrain but the security of the wider region. He referred to attacks near Kuwait International Airport, which pose a serious risk to civil aviation and air navigation, and to the drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates, which caused a fire in an external electrical generator and brought the region close to a nuclear safety disaster.

"From a chemical facility, to a civilian airport, to a nuclear power plant," he said, "the pattern is unmistakable: these are not military targets, as Iran claims, but part of a systematic campaign against the critical infrastructure upon which civilian life in our countries depends”.

The Foreign Minister stressed that these attacks constitute a clear violation of the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which was supported by 136 countries. He noted that Iran continued its attacks despite committing, under the Memorandum of Understanding, to a permanent cessation of military operations, breaching that commitment within days. This, he said, reflects a recurring pattern of failing to honour international obligations, demonstrating that what ultimately matters is not who signs an agreement, but who faithfully implements it.

He reiterated Bahrain's call for the immediate and complete cessation of the attacks, urging the Security Council to reaffirm its condemnation, compel Iran to comply fully with Resolution 2817 (2026) and international law, and establish an effective implementation and monitoring mechanism. He also reaffirmed Bahrain's inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, while underscoring the Kingdom's continued commitment to exercising maximum restraint and pursuing peaceful solutions.

Concluding his address, the Foreign Minister stated that the credibility of the Security Council is measured by its ability to protect peaceful nations and deter aggression, and that the true value of its resolutions lies in their implementation rather than their adoption. He stressed that the immediate priority must be to bring these attacks to an end and for the Security Council to rise to its responsibilities.