Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim they targeted a US radar in Bahrain

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it targeted a US early-warning radar in Bahrain, the first such claim of an attack on American military assets in a Gulf country since early September.

The claim

The IRGC said the strike was in retaliation for what it described as an air attack on a telecommunications tower in Iran’s southern Sirik county, in Hormozgan province, according to Iranian state media. The claim came amid a fragile lull in the conflict between Iran and the US, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and has since spread across the region.

The IRGC called the strike a “serious warning” to the “aggressor enemy” to stop what it said was a series of aerial provocations and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz. “Should these violations and acts of aggression recur, the IRGC Aerospace Force stands in full readiness to engage without limits,” the statement said.

The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency said the IRGC’s Aerospace Force had “targeted and destroyed” the radar installation. The claim could not be independently verified.

Context

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. The Fifth Fleet headquarters, at the Naval Support Activity base in the capital, Manama, is the main command centre for US naval operations in the Middle East. It was hit in the opening hours of the war on February 28, and satellite images analysed by Al Jazeera showed direct hits on several radar domes and damage to buildings across the base.

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Gulf states and sought to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies. Washington, in turn, imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Response

There was no immediate comment from the US or Bahrain. US Central Command said it “regularly” moves personnel and assets to “optimise mission readiness”.

Why it matters

• The claim is the first time since early September that Iran has claimed an attack on US military assets in a Gulf country.
• The IRGC warned of unlimited confrontation if violations recur and said companies working with the US over Hormuz oil shipments face tougher penalties.
• A Pentagon inspector general’s report released in September found that Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at US installations in eight countries, including Bahrain, in the first four months of the war.

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Sources

• timesofisrael.com: IRGC says it targeted US early-warning radar in Bahrain after 'enemy attack' on telecom tower | The Times of Israel
• aljazeera.com: Iran says it targeted US radar site in Bahrain | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera
• internazionale.it: Iran’s Guards say they targeted a US early-warning radar in Bahrain - Internazionale
• investinglive.com: Iran’s Guards claim strike on US radar in Bahrain, warn firms over Hormuz oil trade
• kashmirlife.net: Iran’s IRGC Claims Strike on US Early-Warning Radar in Bahrain | Kashmir Life - Latest News & Breaking News from Kashmir
• brecorder.com: Iran's Guards say they targeted a US early-warning radar in Bahrain - World - Business Recorder

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.