Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a drone attack on a U.S. military base in Bahrain on Sunday, triggering air raid sirens across the Gulf kingdom for more than 30 minutes.
The IRGC said six drones targeted an air defense radar at the Al Riffa helicopter base, where the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is stationed. Bahrain's interior ministry issued alerts urging residents to seek shelter. Two waves of attacks occurred, with explosions heard east of Bahrain as defenses intercepted Iranian drones over the sea. An all-clear was given around 30 minutes after the second alert.
The attack follows a claim two days earlier that the IRGC destroyed a U.S. early-warning radar in Bahrain. U.S. Central Command denied that attack caused damage, saying it intercepted two Iranian drones heading toward Bahrain. CENTCOM did not comment on Sunday's statement. The Bahrain attack came a day after the IRGC claimed it shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island, calling it the 17th American drone destroyed.
President Trump warned that any Iranian provocation will be met with a U.S. response. The IRGC warned that any act of U.S. aggression "will be met with an even harsher and more destructive reaction," and said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
The strikes come amid an eight-month war between the U.S. and Iran that Trump declared "militarily effectively over" on Nov. 10 following talks in Qatar. The U.S. struck Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Nov. 3 and Nov. 7, and established Task Force Iron Gate on Nov. 8 to block Iranian weapons routes. On Nov. 12, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other senior officials relocated to military bases due to Iranian threats against their lives.
