Patriot missile involved in Bahrain blast likely US-operated, analysis finds
Source: Reuters
March 22, 2026 2:00 AM EDT Updated 4 hours ago
An American-operated Patriot air defense battery likely fired the interceptor missile involved in a pre-dawn explosion that injured dozens of civilians and tore through homes in U.S.-ally Bahrain 10 days into the war on Iran, according to an analysis by academic researchers examined by Reuters.
Both Bahrain and Washington have blamed an Iranian drone attack for the March 9 blast, which the Gulf kingdom said injured 32 people including children, some seriously. Commenting on the day of the attack, U.S. Central Command said on X that an Iranian drone struck a residential neighbourhood in Bahrain.
In response to questions from Reuters, Bahrain on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion over the Mahazza neighborhood on Sitra island, offshore from the capital Manama and also home to an oil refinery.
In the statement, a Bahraini government spokesperson said the missile successfully intercepted an Iranian drone mid-air, saving lives. “The damage and injuries sustained were not a result of a direct impact to the ground of either the Patriot interceptor or the Iranian drone,” the spokesperson said.Neither Bahrain or Washington has provided evidence that an Iranian drone was involved in the Mahazza incident.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/patriot-missile-involved-bahrain-blast-likely-us-operated-analysis-finds-2026-03-22/
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