Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched six drones on Sunday at a US air defence radar at the Al-Rifaa helicopter base in Bahrain, The Guardian reported. The IRGC called the strike retaliation for "hostile US actions". Bahraini authorities said air defences stopped the drones before they reached their targets.
Al Jazeera reported that the attacks targeted Riffa Air Base, which the US military uses. Blasts sounded over the kingdom, and sirens urged residents to take shelter. "It's exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen," resident Hayat Ibrahim, 65, told Agence France Presse.
Sunday's strike was Iran's second on Bahrain in three days. On Friday, the IRGC said it had destroyed a US early warning radar facility in Bahrain. Bahrain said it intercepted two drones that day. US Central Command said it shot down two drones without injury or damage.
Bahrain's foreign ministry called the attacks "heinous aggression" and a violation of international law. It rejected the use of its territory to settle scores and held Iran fully responsible. Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with Bahrain, The Guardian reported.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, defended the strikes at a news conference in Tehran. He said they were "purely defensive" under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He added that they targeted only US bases and assets used to attack Iran. He accused Gulf states of helping US strikes and said Iran had documented their role. Asked about stalled talks with Washington, he said Iran was "not waiting for anyone".
The war began with joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, according to The Guardian. The US maintains a naval blockade, while Iran keeps its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz. US forces have hit Iranian targets in recent weeks, including Qeshm Island. President Donald Trump called them minor strikes and said Washington was no longer seeking a deal with Iran.
Separately, the IRGC claimed that two ships hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz and that an oil supertanker carrying 2 million barrels sank. There was no independent confirmation. In Yemen, Iran-allied Houthi forces advanced in the south. Government-aligned forces pulled back from the Bab el-Mandeb area to defend Aden.