Iran Claims Strike on US Radar in Bahrain as Gulf Tensions Flare
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that they targeted a United States early-warning radar in Bahrain, in the first claim of an attack on American military assets in a Gulf country since early September.
The claim, carried by Iranian state media, could not be independently verified. There was no immediate comment from Washington or Manama, and no details were given of the weapon used, the time of the strike, or the damage caused.
What Iran says happened
The Guards said the strike was retaliation for what they described as an air attack on a telecommunications tower in Sirik county, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province on the Gulf coast. Iranian state media said the Guards’ Aerospace Force carried out the strike a few hours earlier, and some Iranian outlets described the radar as destroyed.
Reuters reported the claim as a targeting, not a confirmed hit, and noted that neither the United States nor Bahrain had responded when the report was published. The Times of Israel reported the claim, citing Iranian state media, and likewise said there was no confirmation from Bahrain or the United States that any attack had reached Bahraini territory.
The Guards also warned of what they called unlimited confrontation if attacks on Iran were repeated, according to reports of the statement.
Why Bahrain matters
Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in the capital, Manama. The fleet operates across the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, and its early-warning systems are part of the air and missile defence picture for American forces and Gulf partners across the region.
The island kingdom sits across the Gulf from Iran, close to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil passes. Any attack on an American asset there would mark a sharp widening of a confrontation that has so far been fought mostly through strikes on shipping, energy infrastructure and proxy forces.
A fragile lull under strain
The claim came amid a fragile lull in the conflict between Iran and the United States, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and has since spread across the region. Diplomacy has stalled: President Donald Trump said the United States does not need a deal with Iran on Thursday, and pulled Vice President JD Vance off the negotiations.
Energy markets have already reacted to the wider escalation, and oil prices rose sharply this week after attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with traders pricing in the risk of further interruptions.
Iran has made a series of unverified claims about strikes on Gulf shipping infrastructure in recent days. Earlier this week it claimed its navy struck navigation systems on Didamar Island, a small Omani island in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that was disputed by Oman and could not be independently verified. It also claimed this month that four tankers had been destroyed by mines near the strait, again without providing vessel names, flags or other evidence.
What is not yet known
The most important questions remain unanswered. It is not clear whether any weapon actually struck the radar, whether there were casualties or damage, or even whether the alleged attack on the telecoms tower in Sirik took place. That account rests on Iran’s word alone, and no other party has been quoted confirming or denying it.
Satellite imagery published by Al Jazeera was cited in some reports as showing damage to radar domes at the base in Manama, but that reading of the images has not been independently confirmed, and neither the Pentagon nor Bahrain’s government has said anything publicly.
For now, the episode stands as a claim, not a confirmed strike. What happens next is likely to turn on whether Washington or Manama respond, and whether the Guards follow through on their warning of further action.
Frequently asked questions
Did Iran really hit a US radar in Bahrain?
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they targeted the radar. The claim has not been independently verified, and neither the United States nor Bahrain has commented.
Why does Iran say it acted?
The Guards said the strike was retaliation for an alleged air attack on a telecommunications tower in Sirik county, in southern Iran. That alleged attack has also not been independently confirmed.
What is the US military presence in Bahrain?
Bahrain hosts Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama, the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which operates across the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
