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Iran says it targets US radar in Bahrain. What do we know?
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
The new detail is that Bahrain’s Defence Force says it thwarted several Iranian aerial attacks, while the IRGC claims six drones targeted a US air defence radar at Riffa Air Base. Bahrain issued two safety alerts on Sunday, but the US military has not commented on the latest claim; the incident adds to tensions around US forces and the Strait of Hormuz.
It is the second time in three days that the IRGC has claimed to target a US radar in Bahrain. On Friday, the US military said it intercepted two Iranian drones and reported no injuries or damage, denying the claim that a radar system had been destroyed. The IRGC says the strait remains closed and warns of a stronger response to any US attack; it also says two tankers struck sea mines there on Saturday, a claim amid stalled diplomatic efforts to reopen the waterway.
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In short
- Bahrain says its air defences thwarted several attacks.
- Iran claims six drones targeted a US radar.
- The US has not commented on Sunday’s claim.
How this story developed
- 42 minutes ago Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it launched six drones at a US air defence radar at Bahrain’s Riffa Air Base, in what it described as a response to hostile US actions.
- 48 minutes ago The new detail is that Bahrain’s Defence Force says it thwarted several Iranian aerial attacks, while the IRGC claims six drones targeted a US air defence radar at Riffa Air Base.
Full account
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it sent six drones towards a US air-defence radar system at Riffa Air Base in Bahrain. The claim, carried by the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency, has not been confirmed by the US military, which had not commented on the latest incident in the reports provided. Bahrain’s Defence Force said its air defences had thwarted several Iranian aerial attacks, without specifying whether they involved the radar system.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry issued two alerts about three hours apart on Sunday, the first at about 4.30am local time. It warned of a potential threat and told residents to seek shelter; in a later message, it urged them to stay calm and go to the nearest safe place. The alerts gave no further account of what had prompted them. The reports do not say whether Sunday’s alleged attack caused damage or injuries.
This is the second time in three days that Iran has claimed to target a US radar system in Bahrain. On Friday, the IRGC said it had destroyed an early-warning radar, describing the action as retaliation for an alleged US air attack on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran. US Central Command said it had intercepted two Iranian drones and reported no injuries or damage, rejecting the claim that the radar had been destroyed. Reuters characterised Friday’s claim as the first Iranian claim of an attack on US military assets in a Gulf country since early September.
In its latest statement, the IRGC also said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, asserted that US efforts to escort ships through it had failed, and warned of a stronger response to any US attack. Its navy separately said two tankers had struck sea mines while attempting to cross the strait, alleging that they had switched off tracking systems and taken an unauthorised route. These claims are attributed to Iranian sources in the reports; no independent confirmation is provided. The wider dispute unfolds amid heightened regional tensions: Tehran has warned the UN Security Council it would respond to renewed US or Israeli attacks, while Bahrain has called for the implementation of a council resolution condemning Iranian attacks. Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The supplied reports differ in emphasis and scope. The first centres on Iran’s claims, Bahrain’s security alerts and the competing accounts of Friday’s drone interception, while noting the absence of a US response to Sunday’s claim. It also places the episode in the context of the Strait of Hormuz and earlier damage to US installations. The second report concerns the killing of a Hamas commander in Gaza and does not report on the Bahrain incident, so it provides no corroboration or alternative account of it.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 reports the IRGC’s claim that six drones targeted a radar at Riffa Air Base on Sunday; it says the US had not commented on that claim at the time of reporting.
For Friday’s incident, Source 1 says the IRGC claimed to have destroyed a radar, while US Central Command said it intercepted two drones and reported no injuries or damage. The accounts conflict over whether the radar was hit.
Source 2 covers an Israeli strike in Gaza and the death of a Hamas commander, rather than the alleged Bahrain attack. It offers no reporting on the radar claim.
Explained simply
Bahrain is a small island kingdom in the Gulf, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based. The United States also has air defence equipment in the region, including radar used to detect aircraft and drones.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a branch of Iran’s armed forces. Bahrain’s Defence Force is responsible for the country’s security, while US forces operate from bases there as part of a wider regional presence.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow shipping route linking the Gulf with the open sea, and a major passage for oil and other goods. Tensions involving Iran, the United States and Gulf states can affect security around the strait and the forces and shipping that use the region.
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