Iran on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), naval forces launched a drone attack against the Fifth Fleet base in Manama during the early hours of Wednesday. The operation was described as retaliation for recent US military strikes on infrastructure in southern Iran.
The claim came shortly after Bahrain activated missile warning sirens and urged residents to seek shelter. Iranian state media reported that the attack targeted one of the United States’ most strategically important military installations in the Middle East.
The IRGC said Shahed-136 one-way attack drones were launched at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time. In an official statement, the organisation linked the operation to American strikes carried out earlier in the day against locations in the Iranian cities of Jask, Sirik, and Qeshm.
Iranian officials alleged that the US attacks damaged civilian infrastructure along the country’s southern coastline. According to the IRGC, a telecommunications tower in Sirik was damaged and two water storage tanks were destroyed during the strikes.
“The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm under false pretexts,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by local media. The group added that the drone operation against the US naval facility in Bahrain was a direct response to those actions.
The IRGC further warned that any additional military action by Washington would be met with a stronger response. Iranian officials claimed that military engagements were still ongoing and cautioned that future attacks on Iranian territory would provoke further retaliation.
Reports from the region indicated that more than 16 explosion sounds were heard across Bahrain. Iraqi media outlets also reported sightings of Iranian missiles travelling in the direction of the Gulf kingdom, although these reports could not be independently verified.
The US Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, oversees American naval operations across the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The fleet plays a central role in safeguarding key maritime trade routes and maintaining regional security.
The latest developments follow fresh US military operations against Iran after an American Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter reportedly crashed near the Strait of Hormuz. According to US Central Command, American fighter aircraft subsequently targeted Iranian air defence systems, surveillance radar installations, and ground control facilities.
Washington described the strikes as a proportional response to threats against US personnel and commercial shipping operating in the region. Tehran, however, rejected that justification and accused the United States of attacking civilian targets.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s position in a message posted on social media, warning that Iranian forces would respond decisively to any aggression.
“Iranian forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered,” Araghchi stated, adding, “Leave our region if you want to be safe.”
The exchange represents another sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries and threatens to further destabilise an already volatile region. The incident comes only days after Iran and Israel exchanged fire despite a fragile ceasefire that had taken effect earlier this year, raising concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict.
