Iran launched drone attacks against a U.S. military base in Bahrain, further undermining peace talks between Tehran and Washington and heightening fears of escalation.
Explosions rocked the Gulf nation on Sunday, marking the second Iranian drone attack in three days in retaliation for U.S. strikes inside Iran.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi forces advanced against pro-government troops in the south, potentially clearing a path to Aden. Iran also claimed a naval mine sank an oil supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
These developments have deepened pessimism about the prospects for any diplomatic breakthrough in the region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated it launched six drones targeting a U.S. air defense radar at the Al-Rifaa helicopter base, citing ‘hostile U.S. actions.’ Bahraini authorities said their air defenses intercepted the drones before they could strike.
At a Tehran press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei declared Iran would continue to respond to any military aggression by the U.S. or other states. When asked whether the latest strikes signaled a shift in Iranian strategy amid stalled negotiations with Washington, he said Iran was ‘not waiting for anyone’ and remained focused on its security.
U.S. forces have carried out a series of strikes against Iranian targets in recent weeks, including on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, Donald Trump characterized the strikes as minor and said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states had warned him against large-scale combat operations.
However, the president also stated Washington was no longer pursuing a deal with Iran and had directed Vice President JD Vance to shift his focus to alleged corruption and fraud in Democrat-run cities and states.
Vance, who attributed Republican midterm losses to the Iran conflict, had requested a direct meeting with Iranian negotiators to discuss peace terms.
The conflict, which began with joint U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, remains deadlocked, with the U.S. maintaining a naval blockade and Iran retaining its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate development, the Revolutionary Guards claimed two ships struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with one—an oil supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of oil—sinking. The vessels suffered ‘massive explosions and fire,’ according to the statement.
There was no immediate independent verification. The U.S. military recently asserted it had cleared all mines from primary shipping lanes in the waterway.
The strikes on Bahrain indicate Iran has opted for a tit-for-tat response to U.S. attacks.
Bahrain hosts major U.S. bases, including a forward operating base that houses the U.S. Fifth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, serving as a central hub for military operations in the Middle East.
Tehran repeatedly targeted the kingdom until a lull in attacks began in September. That pause ended Friday when Iran launched drones at a U.S. radar facility. U.S. Central Command reported shooting down two drones with no injuries or damage.
Sunday’s attacks triggered sirens and alerts from Bahraini authorities urging residents to seek shelter.
“It’s exactly what I was hoping wouldn’t happen: Iranian attacks starting again, with all the worry and uncertainty that come with them,” resident Hayat Ibrahim, 65, told Agence France-Presse.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry condemned the renewed attacks as ‘heinous aggression’ and a flagrant violation of international law.
In a statement, the kingdom rejected Tehran’s ‘flimsy pretexts and baseless claims’ for targeting its territory. ‘The kingdom also rejects the transformation of its territory into an arena for settling scores and holds Iran fully responsible for these attacks and their consequences.’
Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with Bahrain.
In Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels faltered when pro-government forces withdrew from the Bab el-Mandeb strait to defend Aden on the southern coast.
“The Southern Armed Forces announce the implementation of a redeployment operation for its forces from Dhubab Airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area, west of Taiz Governorate,” the main military force fighting for Yemen’s government in the south said in a statement.
The admission signaled the apparent failure of a six-week government counteroffensive to dislodge the Houthis from the Red Sea entrance and secure a vital oil route.
A Houthi missile strike near Aden killed an unspecified number of people and wounded 12, AFP reported, citing military and government sources.
Also Read
- Canary Islands See Record One-Day Arrival of 1,488 Migrants
- ONE Resumes Red Sea Transit After Three-Year Gap
- Pakistan Records $11.4 Billion in Goods Exports During First Four Months of FY27
- Zelenskyy Urges United States and Elon Musk to Remove Starlink Limitations, Stressing Historical Responsibility