Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a US radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain, the second such strike in three days, as blasts and sirens rattled the Gulf kingdom on Sunday morning.
The claim was carried by Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, and Bahrain’s military said its air defences intercepted the attacks, preventing them from reaching their intended targets, ValidViewNetwork reports.
THE ATTACK
The IRGC said six drones belonging to its Aerospace Force targeted the US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base.
“The US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain was targeted by six drones belonging to the IRGC Aerospace Force,” the Guards said in a statement posted on Telegram. “The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and more forceful response,” it added.
Explosions could be heard around 4 a.m. local time, with residents reporting a second series of blasts around 6:30 a.m.
The interior ministry called on residents to “remain calm, proceed to the nearest safe location, and follow news through official channels”.
THE CONTEXT
The attack followed another Iranian drone strike on Bahrain on Friday, the first strikes since September against countries in the energy-rich Gulf, which has been heavily targeted in the eight-month war.
The IRGC said the Friday attack was in retaliation for US strikes on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military’s Central Command said it shot down two Iranian drones in that attack, reporting no casualties or damage .During more than eight months of war, Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz oil trade route and struck infrastructure including airports, seaports, energy facilities, and US assets across the region.
THE REACTION
Bahrain’s foreign ministry said the kingdom “rejects turning its territory into an arena for settling scores and holds Iran fully responsible for these attacks” .
Mohammed Abdallah, a shopkeeper in Manama, heard the strikes overnight. “I was hoping this period was behind us and wouldn’t happen again,” he said.
THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT
US President Donald Trump, whose steep reverse in midterm elections was partly blamed on the Iran war, plans to discuss the conflict at a trilateral meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week, an official said on Friday.
Months of diplomacy have failed to resolve the war, which began with surprise US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 .
WHY IT MATTERS
The war in the Gulf is not over. It is escalating.Iran is not backing down. It is striking US assets in allied countries, closing the Strait of Hormuz, and warning of harsher responses. Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is on the front line.
The attack also exposes the limits of American power. The US has spent eight months bombing Iran, killing its supreme leader, and imposing a naval blockade. Yet Iran is still able to launch drone strikes on US bases in the Gulf.
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Trump’s planned trilateral meeting with China and Russia suggests that Washington is looking for a way out. But it is not clear that Beijing or Moscow are willing to help, or that Tehran is interested in a deal.
The drones have been intercepted. The war continues. And the Gulf is on edge. ValidViewNetwork reports.