US military denies Iran's claim of striking Bahrain radar site
The US Central Command rejected claims from the IRGC that a radar installation in Bahrain was destroyed during a retaliatory strike.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday that it shot down two attack drones launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) towards Bahrain. According to reports from Al Jazeera and Moneycontrol, CENTCOM stated that no injuries or damage occurred during the incident.
The IRGC had previously claimed to have targeted and destroyed a US early-warning radar in Bahrain. The Iranian force said the strike was a response to a US air attack on a telecommunications tower in the Sirik region of Hormozgan province, which Iran's IRNA news agency reported was hit on Thursday.
This marks the first time since early September that Iran has claimed to have attacked US military assets within a Gulf nation, according to Reuters. The IRGC described the operation as a serious warning to the US to stop aerial provocations and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate claim reported by IRNA, the IRGC said a liquefied petroleum gas tanker exploded after striking a mine while sailing through the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC alleged the vessel had ignored warnings, though the incident could not be independently verified and was not reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The conflict, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, has seen ongoing tensions in the region. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested economic pressure is working, Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that any new US war would make military bases across West Asia and Europe legitimate targets.