Iran Claims Destruction of US Early-Warning Radar in Bahrain; CENTCOM Says Two Iranian Drones Intercepted

TEHRAN (Terror Monitor) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it targeted and destroyed a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain in retaliation for an American airstrike on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran, as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to escalate around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

However, the United States has rejected Iran’s claim that the radar installation was destroyed, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying American forces intercepted and shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones launched towards Bahrain.

CENTCOM said the attempted drone attack caused no casualties or damage.

The IRGC announced the alleged radar strike in a statement carried by Iranian state media early Friday, November 13. The statement said its Aerospace Force had targeted the American military installation in Bahrain several hours after what Tehran described as a US airstrike on a telecommunications tower in Sirik County, Hormozgan Province.

Iranian state media, including the semi-official Fars news agency, reported that the IRGC claimed the radar system had been completely destroyed.

The Guards described the operation as a serious warning to Washington, demanding an end to what they called American aerial provocations and oil smuggling activities in the Strait of Hormuz.

In its statement, the IRGC warned that its Aerospace Force remained fully prepared to respond to any further violations or acts of aggression.

It also threatened unspecified serious consequences for companies allegedly involved in activities that Tehran considers violations of its restrictions in the strategic waterway.

However, the extent of any damage to the US radar installation has not been independently established. Reuters reported that Washington had denied Iran's claim, while CENTCOM confirmed the interception of the two Iranian drones.

US intercepts Iranian drones heading towards Bahrain

In a separate development, CENTCOM said Iranian forces had launched two one-way attack drones in the direction of Bahrain, but US military forces intercepted and destroyed both before they could reach their intended targets.

The US military said there were no injuries or damage resulting from the incident.

The American statement directly contradicted the IRGC's assertion that it had successfully destroyed a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain.

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Manama, which serves as a major command centre for American naval operations across the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.

The latest incident marks the first Iranian claim of an attack on US military assets in a Gulf country since early September, according to Reuters.

Iran reports US airstrike on telecommunications tower in Sirik

Hours before announcing the alleged attack on Bahrain, Iranian news agencies reported that Sirik, a coastal area in Hormozgan Province near the Strait of Hormuz, had come under an airstrike late Thursday.

The IRGC subsequently confirmed that a telecommunications tower near the Persian Gulf coastline had been targeted.

Iranian officials attributed the attack to the United States, although the circumstances and extent of the damage have not been independently verified.

Tehran described the alleged strike as an act of aggression and used it to justify its claimed retaliatory operation against the US radar installation in Bahrain.

Iran claims to have shot down US MQ-1 drone

Separately, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian forces had shot down an American MQ-1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Kohestak area using what it described as a newly developed air-defence system.

According to the report, the drone was intercepted after Iranian naval air-defence units detected it and opened fire.

IRNA also published photographs that it identified as showing the wreckage of the downed aircraft.

However, the US military and CENTCOM had not publicly confirmed the reported loss of an MQ-1 drone or independently commented on Iran's latest claim at the time of publication.

Iran has repeatedly claimed to have intercepted American MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones during the ongoing conflict, although individual claims have not always been independently verified.

Growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz

The latest developments come amid a fragile lull in the wider conflict between Iran and the United States, which began following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on February 28 and subsequently spread across the Middle East.

Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against US military facilities in several Gulf countries and sought to restrict commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with international waters.

Washington, meanwhile, has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and continued military operations aimed at protecting American interests and commercial shipping in the region.

Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, has been among the Gulf countries affected by Iranian attacks during the conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important energy corridors, with a substantial proportion of internationally traded oil and liquefied natural gas passing through the narrow waterway.

The latest exchange of claims and military actions raises fresh concerns that the confrontation could escalate again, potentially threatening regional security, energy supplies and international maritime trade.