Bahrain: Iranian Instructions Behind Oil Pipeline Fire

Emergency and rescue workers are seen blocking the road leading to a fire in at oil pipeline in Buri village south of Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2017. Picture taken November 10, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Emergency and rescue workers are seen blocking the road leading to a fire in at oil pipeline in Buri village south of Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2017. Picture taken November 10, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Bahrain: Iranian Instructions Behind Oil Pipeline Fire

Emergency and rescue workers are seen blocking the road leading to a fire in at oil pipeline in Buri village south of Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2017. Picture taken November 10, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Emergency and rescue workers are seen blocking the road leading to a fire in at oil pipeline in Buri village south of Manama, Bahrain, November 10, 2017. Picture taken November 10, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Bahrain said on Saturday that the recent oil pipeline fire was a terrorist act, which targets the supreme interests of homeland and citizens.

Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid al-Khalifa described the incident as “an act of sabotage and a dangerous act of terrorism aimed at harming supreme interests of the homeland and safety of the people”.

“The terrorist acts that Bahrain has witnessed recently are conducted through communications and direct instructions from Iran,” he claimed.

The Public Prosecution was notified about the incident, as security bodies commenced interrogation and investigation operations to figure out the reasons behind the fire. Inspection and materialistic evidence showed that the incident is intentional.

Work is ongoing to determine the identity of suspects and arrest them.

Saudi Arabia denounced the blast that led to a fire in an oil pipeline in Buri, Bahrain.

UAE and Kuwait decried the terrorist act, which was described by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as a coward action that aims to destabilize Bahrain.

Sheikh Rashid al-Khalifa stated that the civil defense handled the fire and controlled it in a record-time, assuring that the fire led to no humanitarian losses. He finally thanked the security bodies, state-run Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and the citizens for their cooperation – Bapco closed the flow of oil to the stricken pipeline.

Sheikh Rashid declared that the incident is a dangerous escalation from the Iranians – on his twitter account, he posted that the attempt to blow up the Saudi Bahraini oil pipeline is an Iranian escalation that aims at scaring people and undermining oil industry.

A number of buildings and vehicles were damaged due to the heat and smoke caused by the fire – some residents were moved to a shelter to ensure their security and safety.



Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its welcoming of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion on Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories and the court’s confirmation of the illegality of the Israeli presence in the territories over the past 57 years.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The government renewed the Kingdom’s position on the need for practical and credible steps to be taken to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

The cabinet was briefed on the telephone talks held between Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

The calls focused on joint relations and ways to boost and develop them.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international developments and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to end the war on Gaza and support peace in Yemen to achieve regional security and stability.

It urged the international community, particularly active and influential parties, to assume its responsibilities and stop tensions in the region.

At the domestic level, the cabinet reviewed the latest economic developments and key indicators, including the stabilization of inflation in recent months due to the robustness of the Kingdom's economy and the effective measures and policies implemented to address the ramifications of rising global prices.