Bahrain's only oil refinery has reportedly been attacked by Iran, exacerbating energy disruptions.

PANews reported on March 9th that, according to foreign media reports cited by Jinshi, thick smoke was billowing from Bahrain's National Oil Company (Bapco) refinery. Reuters witnesses stated that the Bahraini government had previously announced damage to the region caused by an Iranian drone attack. The reportedly attacked location in Bahrain is one of the oldest and most strategically important energy hubs in the Middle East, where Bahrain has invested heavily in modernizing its facilities. Bapco is to Bahrain what Saudi Arabia considers Saudi Aramco. In terms of capacity, Bapco's refining center has a capacity of approximately 405,000 barrels per day, compared to approximately 550,000 barrels per day at Saudi Arabia's largest refinery, Rastanura. Analysts say Iran's strategy appears to be the same as since the beginning of last week: to exert as much pressure as possible on oil prices, hoping that Gulf states will persuade Trump to concede. As of now, Bahrain's National Oil Company has declared force majeure.