On February 28, President Donald Trump declared the commencement of “major combat operations” against Iran, with significant coordinated strikes carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces targeting military and governmental installations, as reported by officials.
In a statement released on Sunday, Bapco Energies revealed that a drone attack from Iran had ignited a fire at one of its storage facilities located in Bahrain. The National Communication Centre of Bahrain conveyed this information to ABC News.
The statement clarified, “The fire has been completely extinguished and the situation is under control. Currently, we are assessing and evaluating the extent of the damages. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries.”
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported on Sunday that there were “multiple fires” at the Borouge Petrochemicals Factory, which were attributed to debris falling as a result of successful interceptions by air defense systems.
The media office stated on X, “Operations at the factory have been halted immediately while we evaluate the damage, and, as of now, there have been no recorded injuries.”
According to a U.S. official, two C-130 aircraft involved in the mission to rescue the second F-15 crew member found themselves stranded within Iranian territory during the operation.
In a strategic move, U.S. forces destroyed the incapacitated aircraft to prevent them from being captured by Iranian forces. Consequently, additional aircraft were dispatched to Iran to facilitate the safe extraction of the airman and the rescue teams, the official elaborated.
A senior administration official disclosed to ABC News that the CIA was instrumental in the successful rescue of the second F-15E crew member from Iranian soil.
Prior to locating and rescuing the downed weapons systems officer (WSO), the CIA initiated a deception campaign to mislead Iranian authorities by suggesting that U.S. forces had already located the officer and were transporting him for exfiltration.
The official remarked, “While the Iranians were left confused and uncertain, the agency utilized its specialized capabilities to search for and ultimately locate the American.” The operation was described as akin to finding “a needle in a haystack,” as the officer was situated in a remote mountain crevice, visible only to CIA operatives.
The CIA promptly communicated the WSO’s precise location to both the Pentagon and the White House. Following this, the president authorized an immediate rescue operation, which was executed with courage and precision by the Department of War, while the CIA continued to provide real-time updates, the official added.
