Iran Attacks US Base in Bahrain

Explosions were heard across Bahrain early on Sunday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a United States military installation in the Gulf nation.

Air raid sirens sounded, and authorities issued emergency alerts on social media, advising residents to move to safe locations. The warnings were the first of their kind since September.

Bahrain, which hosts a major US naval base, has experienced a new wave of attacks after a period of relative calm, with two incidents reported within three days.

The country is among the Gulf states heavily affected by Iranian strikes during the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Bahrain’s military said its air defences intercepted several Iranian attacks before they could reach their intended targets, while the Foreign Ministry confirmed that defence systems had also brought down Iranian drones.

An AFP journalist reported hearing explosions at about 4:00 am local time (0100 GMT), while residents later described another round of blasts around 6:30 am.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry urged residents to stay calm, move to the nearest safe location and rely on official channels for updates.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the operation targeted a US radar installation at a military base in Bahrain. The claim was carried by Iranian state television.

According to the Guards, six drones operated by their Aerospace Force struck the US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base.

The Iranian military also warned that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and threatened a stronger response to any further American military action.

“The US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain was targeted by six drones belonging to the IRGC Aerospace Force,” the Guards said in a statement posted by the state broadcaster on Telegram.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and more forceful response,” it added.

For more than eight months, Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil trade, while attacking airports, seaports, energy installations and US military assets across the region.

Bahrain is among the Gulf countries that have faced thousands of Iranian drone and missile attacks since the conflict began on February 28.

The country’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, saying Bahrain would not allow its territory to become a battleground for other countries’ disputes. It also held Iran responsible for the attacks and any resulting consequences.

On Friday, the Revolutionary Guards announced that they had targeted a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain, marking the first reported attack on a Gulf country since early September.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had intercepted two Iranian drones heading towards the island nation, adding that the incident caused no casualties or damage.

CENTCOM, which oversees American military operations in the region, disclosed last month that it had helped Gulf countries transport 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the summer.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss the conflict during a trilateral meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week, according to an official who spoke on Friday.

Trump’s political standing has also been affected by the war, with the conflict partly blamed for the Republicans’ significant setbacks in the midterm elections.

Several months of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the fighting, which began with surprise US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.