Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it targeted an American early-warning radar in Bahrain in retaliation for an alleged air attack on telecommunications infrastructure in southern Iran.
State news agency IRNA, citing official sources, said the installation was destroyed hours after an attack on the port city of Sirik.
Aircraft from the 1st Fighter Wing conducted an Elephant Walk at Langley Air Force Base, Jan. 31, 2025, showcasing the wing’s readiness and operational agility. This demonstration highlighted the wing’s capability to mobilize forces rapidly in high-stress scenarios. The wing’s fleet includes F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talons. As Air Combat Command’s lead wing, the 1 FW maintains unparalleled combat readiness to ensure national defense at a moment’s notice. (U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Ian Sullens)
A B-2 Spirit bomber, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, is staged on the flightline at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Jan. 25, 2019. Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and more than 200 Airmen deployed here in support of U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission. During the BTF mission 37 sorties were flown for a total of 171 hours, with eight of the missions including F-22 Raptor integration. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Barley)
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) nor Bahrain’s Ministry of Information immediately responded to comment when ABC News approached them. However, CENTCOM has now taken to social media to refute the claims made by Iran.
Iran Links Radar Claim to Reported Attack on Sirik
The IRGC described its operation as a response to an attack on a telecommunications tower in Sirik, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, which was reportedly struck by enemy fire on Thursday.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC described the strike as a “serious warning” to the “aggressor enemy” to stop what it described as aerial provocations and oil smuggling through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Should these violations and acts of aggression recur, the IRGC Aerospace Force stands in full readiness to engage without limits,” the IRGC statement added.
IRGC-affiliated outlets claimed the tower was targeted and destroyed.
Bahrain Plays an Important Naval Role
Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, whose headquarters are based in Manama.
The capital also hosts the main command center for American naval operations in the Middle East, overseeing an area that encompasses the Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea, as well as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb waterways.
The headquarters was struck in the opening hours of the war back in February, with direct hits reported on radar domes and buildings across the base.
It is the first time since early September that Iran has claimed an attack on a U.S. military asset elsewhere in the Middle East.
Bahrain itself is one of the region’s fiercest critics of Iran, and has been targeted throughout the conflict by Iranian projectiles.
Washington Keeps Pressure on Iran While Avoiding Major Escalation
The latest attack came days after U.S. officials said that a renewed military operation against Iran was improbable at this moment in time.
On Monday, November 9, President Donald Trump told reporters that a resumption of major strikes was “highly unlikely” after weeks of threatening a return to the bombardment seen in the war’s initial weeks following the midterm elections.
At an impromptu press conference following a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House, Trump said that “Iran, militarily, is effectively over,” and that there is “positive momentum” behind ongoing discussions to end a conflict that is now into its ninth month.
“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” the president said. “And we’re doing that really at the behest of countries that are their neighbors.”
While a renewed military offensive against Iran remains unlikely, according to the president, Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” should further strikes be required.
The following day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers in Paris that Trump did not have to choose between restarting a major offensive and accepting an unfavorable agreement, Axios said, citing three people in the room.
“The president doesn’t just have two options,” Rubio reportedly explained. “It’s not just return to war or sign a ridiculous peace deal. We won’t do a stupid deal. The third option we have is to continue to do what we do now.”
Iranian Leader Demands End to the Status Quo
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been publicly seen since the war began at the end of February, has reportedly told senior officials to end the current status quo.
“The supreme leader ordered us to end the no war, no peace situation,” said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this week. “We can hold talks with dignity and bring the matter to an end with dignity.”
While Trump said earlier this week that a renewed military offensive was “highly unlikely,” Iran will “not limit ourselves to nearby bases” should fighting resume, according to Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei.
“We may even target some American military bases in European countries,” he told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
NOTE: This has been updated with new information.
