Bahrain said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed several Iranian aerial attacks on November 15, after explosions and air raid sirens were reported across the Gulf kingdom and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed it had targeted a US military installation.
The Bahraini military said its air defenses intercepted several attacks before they reached their targets, accusing Tehran of continuing its “systematic hostile approach” toward the kingdom.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said the country rejected “turning its territory into an arena for settling scores” and held Iran fully responsible for the attacks and their consequences.
Iran’s IRGC claimed they had launched six drones targeting a US air defense radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain, according to statements carried by Iranian state media.
There was no immediate confirmation from US or Bahraini authorities that the radar installation had been hit.
Citing its journalists in Bahrain, the AFP news agency reported that explosions were heard around 4 a.m. local time, followed by another series of blasts around 6:30 a.m. Sirens also sounded and Bahraini authorities issued warnings urging residents to seek shelter without specifying the source of the threat.
The Interior Ministry told residents to remain calm, proceed to the nearest safe location, and follow official channels for updates.
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been among the Gulf countries targeted by Iran during the conflict, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The reported attack on November 15 came two days after the IRGC said it had targeted a US early-warning radar facility in Bahrain.
The US military said at the time that it had intercepted two Iranian drones targeting the island, reporting no casualties or damage. Bahrain has now been targeted twice in three days, following a lull in attacks.
The latest developments come amid diplomatic efforts to end the nearly nine-month conflict, which have not yet produced a breakthrough despite a broader lull in fighting.
Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, and launched missile and drone attacks on military and civilian infrastructure across the region.
US President Donald Trump has told his senior advisers in recent days that he might refrain from further attacks on Iran if Tehran and Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen avoid new provocations, according to Reuters.
Trump has also said the US naval blockade of Iran would remain in place.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s military said on November 15 it had intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and three drones in the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
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