Iran Claims Drone Strikes on Us Base in Bahrain Amid Tension
The IRGC, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has launched six drone attacks at a US air defence radar system at Bahrain’s Riffa Air Base in response to what it describes as hostile US actions.
Sirens sounded in Bahrain on Sunday as its Ministry of Interior urged residents to “remain calm” and “proceed to the nearest safe location”.
It was the second time in three days that the IRGC claimed to have targeted a US radar system in Bahrain.
Bahrain's military said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the Iranian air attacks "before they could achieve their objectives".
It comes after Iran fired drones at Bahrain on Friday, its first attack against Gulf countries since September.
Bahrain's foreign ministry said: "The Kingdom of Bahrain condemns in the strongest terms the continued brutal Iranian attacks on its territory and holds Iran fully responsible for their consequences."
The US and Iran are locked in a stand-off over the Strait of Hormuz. About a fifth of the world's gas and oil supply usually flows through it but shipping has been restricted since the outbreak of war in February.
Iran insists that it should control the strait of Hormuz, and has been attacking what it calls "unauthorised" traffic, while the US military is providing protection for tankers shuttling oil through the strait to keep exports flowing from Gulf Arab states.
The IRGC’s navy said two oil tankers struck sea mines on Saturday while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, it said the vessels had switched off their navigation and tracking systems and were using what it called an “unauthorised” route.
The IRGC said two other tankers turned back towards the Gulf after receiving warnings from its maritime traffic control centre.
In a statement on the strikes shared by Iran's state broadcaster on Telegram, the IRGC said "The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and more forceful response."
The US military has denied the claim, stating that the IRGC launched two one-way attack drones towards Bahrain and both were shot down by US forces. It added that there were no injuries or damage.
Earlier in the week the US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, US officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner.
The officials described the strikes as limited and defensive, and said they were in response to the IRGC firing on a US aircraft.
Iranian news agency reported explosions on Qeshm on Monday.
The IRGC did not comment but said its forces had shot down two US MQM-170 drones south of the island and a US MQ-9 drone east of the Strait.
However, this week, Us president , Donald Trump said that the US was no longer interested in a deal to end the war with Iran and ordered Vice-President JD Vance, who had been involved in efforts to restart negotiations, to pay more focus on politics in the United States.
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