Guard says it targeted US radar in Bahrain
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says six drones targeted a US radar at the Al Rifa base. Bahrain says it intercepted the attacks, and the alert is its first since September.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Sunday, November 15, that it targeted a US radar at the Al Rifa helicopter base in Bahrain with drones, while the Bahraini military says it intercepted the Iranian attacks before they reached their targets. It is the second attack on Bahrain in three days and the first air raid alert there since September. The strike follows Donald Trump’s statement that he does not need a deal with Iran, which we reported earlier.
What happened in Bahrain on Sunday morning?
An AFP reporter heard explosions around 4 a.m. local time, which is 1 a.m. GMT. Residents reported a second round of blasts around 6:30 a.m. Sirens sounded, and the authorities twice urged people to seek shelter. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry called on citizens on X to stay calm, move to the nearest safe place and follow official channels for news.
In a statement carried by Iran’s state service on Telegram, the Guard said the radar was targeted by six drones from its aerospace force:
A US air defense radar system at the Al Rifa helicopter base in Bahrain was targeted by six drones belonging to the Guard’s Aerospace Force.
The same statement carries a message that reaches beyond Bahrain: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and stronger response.” The statement was also carried by the Fars agency and Press TV, and the Guard describes the attack as retaliation for hostile US actions.
Who says what?
The accounts differ on the outcome. The Guard speaks of drones that hit a radar, while the Bahraini military says it intercepted and destroyed several Iranian attacks before they reached their targets, and it accused Tehran of a “systematic hostile approach” toward the kingdom. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said air defense systems shot down the Iranian drones and that the country “refuses to let its territory become an arena for settling scores and holds Iran fully responsible for these attacks and their consequences.”
According to Reuters, neither the US nor Bahrain immediately confirmed the Guard’s claim. The reports from the French agency and Reuters mention no casualties or damage.
What led up to Friday’s attack?
On Friday, November 13, the Guard said it targeted a US early warning radar in Bahrain. According to France 24, that was the first strike on a Gulf country since the start of September. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said then that American forces shot down two Iranian drones and that there were no injuries or damage.
Bahrain hosts the base of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. The war began on February 28 with surprise US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In that war Iran is restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the oil route through which, according to CENTCOM, 1.5 billion barrels of oil from Gulf countries have been exported with US help since the summer.
What is the diplomatic picture?
Diplomacy has produced no solution in months. According to Reuters, Trump said in recent days that he could hold off on attacking Iran if there are no new provocations from Tehran or the Houthis in Yemen, but that the naval blockade remains. A US official said on Friday that Trump plans to discuss the war this week at a trilateral meeting with the Chinese and Russian presidents. Trump, whose heavy defeat in the midterm elections has been partly blamed on the war with Iran, wrote on social media on Thursday, November 12: “We don’t need a deal with Iran.”
On another front, the Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday that it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh and three drones over the Eastern Province.
