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A series of strikes hit a refinery on Iran Lavan Island on the morning of April 8, just a few hours after a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel was announced.
“Around 10 a.m…. the facilities of Lavan Oil Refinery, located on Lavan Island, were subjected to a cowardly attack by the enemies,” Iran’s National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement carried by the Mehr news agency.
The company noted that there were no casualties. Video footage posted to social networks showed smoke rising from the refinery, which can produce over 55,000 barrels per day of gasoline and high-quality fuel.
The strikes were the first clear violation of the Pakistani-brokered temporary ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier, and officially accepted by Iran.
Right after the strikes, several Gulf nations reported missile and drone attacks on their territories, in what was likely an Iranian response.
The United Arab Emirates said that its air defenses “are actively engaging” incoming missiles and drones from the Islamic Republic.
In a statement, the UAE’s Defense Ministry said that the sounds of explosions heard in different areas across the country were caused by air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It later reported the interception of 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones.
Kuwait also said its air defenses were intercepting a wave of Iranian drones launched since the morning, according to its army.
The Kuwaiti army said in a statement that some drones targeted vital oil facilities, power stations and water desalination plants, causing serious infrastructure damage.
Kuwait’s Defense Ministry later announced that its air defense systems responded to “intense hostile Iranian attacks,” adding that a total of 28 drones were dealt with.
“Kuwaiti armed forces intercepted a large number of drones, some of which targeted vital oil installations and power stations in the south of the country,” it added.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior also reported alleged Iranian attacks, which it said resulted in the injury of at least two people.
“Two citizens sustained minor injuries and a number of houses were damaged in the Sitra area as a result of shrapnel falling from the interception of an Iranian drone,” the ministry said in a statement.
In an earlier statement, the Interior Ministry said civil defense crews had succeeded in controlling a fire that broke out in a facility “targeted by the Iranian aggression”, without elaborating on the location of the facility. Blasts were heard in the capital, Manama. Smoke was also seen rising from an area on Sitra Island that hosts Bahrain’s key energy facilities.
The exchange of strikes will not likely affect the planned talks between American and Iranian officials in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on April 9.
The latest attacks does show, however, that the ceasefire is fragile, and while Gulf nations and Iran have exchanged accusations, a third party may be behind the violations.
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“ceasefire” is just a marketing trick to calm markets. in reality, talking peace with jews and amerikunts is not worth the paper written on
its a shame to let the tankers ships go, they are hard to replace and their destruction would have made the jews war against iran have real consequences for the (((americans))) and donald epstein