A dramatic new chapter has unfolded in the confrontation between the United States and Iran after Tehran claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The alleged attack, described by Iranian authorities as a retaliatory measure against recent American military action. The announcement came just hours after US forces carried out strikes on multiple locations in southern Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched a drone attack against the American naval presence in Bahrain during the early hours of the morning. According to Iranian media reports, the operation began at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time.
The Guards declared in a statement that in response to the enemy’s vicious move, the IRGC naval fighters launched a drone strike on the Bahraini 5th Navy at 2.30 am, as per reports. The IRGC portrayed the strike as a direct response to US military operations conducted earlier in the day and warned that further escalation could follow. Iranian officials cautioned that “heavier responses” would be forthcoming if Washington continued its military campaign.
The reported drone attack follows American strikes on several sites in southern Iran, including Jask, Sirik and Qeshm Island. Those operations were launched after a US Army Apache helicopter was brought down near the Strait of Hormuz.
US officials said the targets included radar and air defence installations, describing the action as a military response to Iranian aggression. Iranian media, however, reported that civilian infrastructure was also affected. Among the facilities allegedly damaged were a telecommunications tower and water tanks located in Sirik’s Bemani district.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi strongly condemned the American strikes and signalled that Tehran was prepared to continue responding militarily if necessary.
“Leave our region if you want to be safe,” he warned, vowing that Iran’s armed forces would “leave no attack or threat unanswered.”
Iranian media also reported that the retaliatory operation involved coordination between the IRGC and Iran’s regular military forces. Khatam al-Anbiya agency claimed that American military facilities across the region were among the intended targets.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior acknowledged the attacks and urged residents to remain calm while following safety instructions issued by authorities.
