This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. The armed conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has been affecting the entire Middle East in recent days. The Iranian retaliation felt in the surrounding countries has not gone unnoticed by the populations, who now live in a climate of tension. One of the affected countries is Bahrain, where Nandinho, coach of Al Muharraq, currently resides. His club is currently tied for the lead in the country's championship, which is now suspended. "We were a bit caught off guard. We were apprehensive and a bit unsure of what to do," the coach explained in statements to A BOLA, recounting how he experienced the moment he realized the attack on the military base in Manama, the capital of the country. "We were in a café with some Portuguese people. Suddenly we heard the sirens and received alerts. We thought it was a drill, but we started hearing explosions, smoke rising in the distance, and, of course, we immediately deduced it was an attack on the American base, which is a strategic point. From there, it was a cascade of events," he continued. The atmosphere of apprehension remains in the country of 1.7 million inhabitants, but it does not completely prevent life from going on. "We were asked to stay at home. Schools have been suspended, but the truth is we see cars on the street, people going shopping. With less hustle and bustle, it's true, but they still go to the supermarket," said Nandinho, who nonetheless stated that the expectation was for the attacks to subside: "The expectation was that this would calm down, that the attacks would stop, but no. Occasionally, the sirens go off." An eventual exit from the country would be, according to Nandinho, through neighboring Saudi Arabia, and contacts are being maintained with the Portuguese embassy in Riyadh, which advised Portuguese citizens to "follow the ministry's orders, stay at home, and seek shelter whenever the sirens sound." However, even with the climate of instability, competitions may resume. "We were told that the Federation is considering returning everything to normal in 48 hours because the country is not at war; they are only attacking the strategic American points in the Persian Gulf," the coach noted. This option does not please the Portuguese coach: "I don't think it's the right decision. No one is comfortable with this type of situation. Although they say they are not attacking the country, it is evident that in war, there are always setbacks, there are always risks. There are always missiles that are diverted, that are shot down, and you never know where they land. I have never found myself in a situation like this…" "I feel some anxiety because we have family in Portugal who are worried. We don't want to worry them, but the images are always on television," Nandinho added, who nonetheless concluded with a relatively reassuring message: "The reality is that I am here, I see the anti-aircraft defenses passing over the buildings, I hear those explosions, but we have not seen anything fall nearby that would cause us any fear."
Middle East United States remains central to this story.
Middle East United States remains central to this story.
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