Iran launches drone attack on Bahrain airbase, Bahrain says defences intercepted

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it sent six drones to strike a US radar system at the Al‑Rifaa helicopter base in Bahrain on Sunday morning.

Explosions were heard around Manama, the Bahraini capital, and public sirens sounded as the Interior Ministry warned residents to seek shelter. Bahrain’s air defences intercepted the drones before they could reach the target, the authorities said.

The base, located about a 30‑minute drive south of Manama, hosts a US radar linked to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which is stationed in the Gulf kingdom. This is the latest in a series of attacks since September, following a drone strike on Friday that also targeted an American radar facility.

Bahrain officials described the incident as part of a “systematic hostile approach” by Tehran and urged the public to remain calm while moving to the nearest safe location. US Central Command previously reported shooting down two drones in the Friday attack without injury or damage.

The strike raises concerns of a broader escalation in the region, with ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and recent developments in the Red Sea affecting Gulf oil flows.

Source: The Guardian. Photo: Fadhel Madan / Pexels.