Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it destroyed a US early-warning radar in Bahrain in a retaliatory strike on Friday, the first direct attack on American military installations in the region in months.
The strike followed a US airstrike on a communications tower in Sirik overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement carried by Iranian state media. The incident escalates tensions in the Gulf following eight months of military conflict.
The Revolutionary Guard said that the operation served as a direct warning to Washington. “This is a serious warning to the aggressor enemy to end its aerial mischief and oil smuggling in the strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said.
“In the event of repeated violations and aggression, the IRGC aerospace force is on full alert to confront the enemy without constraint,” the IRGC said.
US Central Command denied that the radar system had been destroyed and said that American forces had successfully intercepted two Iranian drones headed for Bahrain. Central Command and Bahrain’s Ministry of Information did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on the claims.
Retaliation and Maritime Incidents in the Gulf
The confrontation in Bahrain unfolded alongside maritime incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guard announced that a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a mine while attempting to transit the waterway, causing an explosion after ignoring repeated warnings.
The claim regarding the mine strike could not be independently verified. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued no immediate report regarding the incident.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a primary flashpoint during the conflict triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. The military provided no further details regarding the cause of the tanker incident or the extent of the resulting damage and losses.
Trump Weighs Iran Military Action Amid British Public Opposition
President Donald Trump stated in media interviews over the past 24 hours that he would attack Iran only if necessary, claiming that Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia had urged him to hold back from planned large-scale military strikes.
