Bahrain Says Iran Targeted Air Navigation Systems, Traffic Unaffected

Smoke rises after a drone was intercepted during early morning hours in Manama, Bahrain, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises after a drone was intercepted during early morning hours in Manama, Bahrain, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
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Bahrain Says Iran Targeted Air Navigation Systems, Traffic Unaffected

Smoke rises after a drone was intercepted during early morning hours in Manama, Bahrain, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises after a drone was intercepted during early morning hours in Manama, Bahrain, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Bahrain said Iranian drones targeted its air navigation systems on Monday, though traffic remained unaffected, while Kuwait also reported attacks as the United States and Iran traded strikes.

A shaky US-Iran ceasefire has all but collapsed as Iran began attacking vessels using an Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, the US has attacked Iran, which has responded with strikes on the Gulf and other Arab countries.

"As a result of a hostile Iranian act of aggression against the Kingdom of Bahrain, civil air navigation systems... were targeted by hostile drones," Bahrain's aviation authority said.

"However, air navigation operations remained unaffected," it added.

Bahrain's military had said in the morning that it "intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial attacks".

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated Iranian attacks targeting the kingdom's civilian and vital facilities with missiles and drones.

It slammed them as a "blatant violation of Bahrain’s sovereignty, security, and stability, a direct threat to civilians, and a breach of international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter, principles of good neighborliness, and international legitimacy resolutions."

The ministry also condemned the targeting of civilian air navigation systems, saying that it poses a "serious threat to the safety of international civil aviation, as well as the lives of passengers and flight crews."

The attack violates the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and resolutions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it added, calling it a "grave breach of international customs and pacts that prohibit targeting civilian facilities."

The ministry underscored the kingdom’s right to take all legitimate measures to protect its sovereignty, security and stability and defend its territories and vital facilities in line with the UN Charter and international laws.

The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force said all military branches and units are at the highest state of readiness and fully prepared to defend the kingdom.

It urged citizens and residents to avoid approaching any foreign or suspicious objects that could be remnants of the attacks, and to report them immediately.

Kuwait's military also said on Monday it was responding to renewed missile and drone salvos.

"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," the army said in a statement blaming Iran.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbors since hostilities resumed this month.

Bahrain has accused Iran of targeting civilians, while Kuwait has reported Iranian attacks on water and electricity plants as well as oil facilities.



Saudi Arabia: Sudan's Government Cannot Be Equated with Militias

Engineer Waleed al-Khuraiji, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his participation in the meeting hosted by Geneva on Wednesday (SPA)
Engineer Waleed al-Khuraiji, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his participation in the meeting hosted by Geneva on Wednesday (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia: Sudan's Government Cannot Be Equated with Militias

Engineer Waleed al-Khuraiji, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his participation in the meeting hosted by Geneva on Wednesday (SPA)
Engineer Waleed al-Khuraiji, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his participation in the meeting hosted by Geneva on Wednesday (SPA)

Saudi Arabia said the Sudanese government and Sovereignty Council cannot be equated with militias that have committed crimes against the Sudanese people, reiterating its rejection of parallel entities and illegal actions outside official institutions that undermine Sudan’s unity and do not reflect the will of its people.

The remarks were made on Wednesday by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khuraiji at the sixth consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan. He underscored the Kingdom’s efforts to secure a ceasefire, preserve Sudan’s unity and safeguard state institutions against collapse.

Al-Khuraiji said these efforts were based on the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, signed on May 11, 2023, and the short-term ceasefire agreement. He added that Saudi Arabia supported the Quad initiative and other regional and international efforts to reach a political solution that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The deputy foreign minister stressed the importance of supporting the Sudanese government in its efforts to facilitate an intra-Sudanese dialogue inside the country. He said the Kingdom would continue working to end the war and restore stability in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia had announced $100 million in aid to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people and launched a public fundraising campaign through the Sahem platform. Total Saudi assistance to Sudan has exceeded $3.2 billion, in addition to a further $145 million in support, he added.

The aid was part of Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, al-Khuraiji said, referring to Saudi Arabia’s participation in a humanitarian coordination meeting on the Sudan crisis held in Berlin on April 15, 2026.

On the sidelines of the meeting, al-Khuraiji held separate meetings with Swiss Foreign Minister Alexandre Fasel, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, and Massad Boulos, the US president’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs.

The bilateral meetings covered relations between Saudi Arabia and their respective countries, prospects for cooperation, and efforts to promote security and peace in Sudan, as well as the latest regional and international developments.


Saudi Air Defenses Thwart Attempt to Target Shaybah Oilfield

Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Air Defenses Thwart Attempt to Target Shaybah Oilfield

Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Two people were killed and two others were injured after Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone that was attempting to hit a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, the Energy Ministry said.

The two people killed were Nepali and Filipino nationals, while the injured were Pakistani and Indian nationals, it said.

The falling debris also sparked a fire in a contractor’s vehicle at the Shaybah oilfield, the ministry added in a statement.


2 Killed, 8 Injured in Dammam Airport Attack

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
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2 Killed, 8 Injured in Dammam Airport Attack

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. SPA

Two people were killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced early Thursday.

The deceased are a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident.

The authority also said eight people were injured in the late Wednesday attack and the airport suffered some material damages.

“All injured individuals were immediately transported to hospital to receive the necessary medical care,” GACA added.

The injured ‌suffered wounds ranging from minor to serious.

It confirmed that work continues, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and airport personnel, and to maintain the safety and security of the Kingdom's civil aviation sector.

GACA also confirmed that airport operations have resumed and air traffic has returned to normal.