By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Report links Bahrain blast to US missile, supporting Iran’s claims of false flag operations aimed at escalation.

Key Developments

• Report indicates the US Patriot missile likely caused the Bahrain explosion initially blamed on Iran.
• Iran calls the incident a “false flag” aimed at damaging its image and provoking regional escalation.
• Officials say such incidents are used to draw Arab states into the war.

Blast Reexamined

A US-operated Patriot missile was likely responsible for an explosion that injured dozens of civilians in Bahrain earlier this month, contradicting initial claims that blamed Iran.

According to Reuters, the interceptor missile was fired from a US air defense system and is believed to have caused the March 9 blast in the Mahazza area on Sitra island.

The explosion injured 32 civilians, including children, in a residential neighborhood near Manama. At the time, both Bahrain and the United States attributed the incident to an Iranian drone strike.

US Central Command had stated that an Iranian drone struck a residential area. However, subsequent findings indicate that a Patriot missile was involved in the incident.

Bahrain later acknowledged that a Patriot missile played a role in the explosion but did not provide evidence supporting earlier claims that Iran was responsible.

Tehran Responds

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the findings confirm what it described as a pattern of false accusations against Tehran.

In a statement, the ministry said:

“What was hidden has now been revealed… this is another example of a ‘false flag’ plan designed to distort Iran’s image and provoke its neighbors.”

It added that the attack “claimed by CENTCOM to be Iranian was a US Patriot missile that malfunctioned and struck civilians.”

The ministry further stated that “the explosion in the residential area of Sitra was not caused by an Iranian drone.”

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied involvement in incidents attributed to them during the war, while maintaining that Tehran openly targets US military bases and Western assets in the region.

Officials said such accusations are used to mislead regional actors and escalate tensions.

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Iranian Claims Highlighted

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned of what they describe as false flag operations aimed at drawing Arab countries into direct involvement in the war.

These claims have also appeared in international media and political commentary. In a widely circulated interview, Tucker Carlson referred to reports about Mossad agents arrested in Gulf countries, raising questions about how certain incidents in the region are attributed.

Iran maintains that while it has publicly acknowledged targeting US military bases and allied assets, it has also rejected responsibility for several incidents attributed to it by US and Arab officials.

Developments such as the Bahrain explosion—where initial claims were later contradicted by reported findings—have been cited by Iranian officials as supporting their position that some attacks blamed on Tehran may originate from other sources.

(Al Mayadeen, PC, Iranian Media, Reuters)