Iran says it struck a US military base in Bahrain
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Sunday that it had attacked a US military base in Bahrain, the second strike on the Gulf kingdom in three days. The Guards claimed six drones from the IRGC Aerospace Force hit a US air-defence radar at the Al-Riffa helicopter base, and warned that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and that any American aggression would draw a harsher response. Bahrain’s military said it intercepted several Iranian attacks and that air-defence systems shot down drones before they reached their targets. The US Central Command said it downed two Iranian drones aimed at the island and reported no casualties or damage.
Explosions were heard around 4am local time (0100 GMT) and again around 6:30am, an AFP journalist said. Sirens sounded and authorities issued their first shelter alerts since September; the interior ministry urged residents to stay calm, move to the nearest safe location, and follow official channels. After a lull, Bahrain—which hosts a major US naval base—was struck twice in three days. On Friday the Guards said they had targeted a US early-warning radar there, the first strike on a Gulf country since early September.
The island nation said it rejects being turned into an arena for settling scores and holds Iran fully responsible. Bahrain is among Gulf states that have faced thousands of Iranian drone and missile attacks since the war began on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. For more than eight months Iran has restricted Hormuz shipping and hit airports, seaports, energy sites, and US assets. CENTCOM said last month it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer. US President Donald Trump is due this week to discuss the conflict with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔