U.S. Central Command on Friday rejected Iran’s assertion that its forces destroyed an American early warning radar system in Bahrain.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement earlier in the day that the facility was targeted as part of a retaliatory attack for a U.S. strike on a telecommunications tower in Sirik just hours before.
The IRGC said its strike constitutes a “serious warning” to U.S. forces in the region.
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“If violations and aggressions are repeated, the IRGC Aerospace Force is on full alert to respond without geographical limits,” the statement reads, adding that companies that continue to “violate the rules” will face severe penalties.
CENTCOM said on social media that it identified two one-way attack drones fired by Iran at Bahrain overnight, but both were shot down, with no reported injuries or damage to the facility.
Neither the Bahraini government nor its military has verified that any radar facility was struck overnight.
Photos posted on social media show what appear to be satellite images of a radar site damaged by a missile or drone strike. The photos could not be independently verified.
Iran’s warnings to commercial organizations in the region come as attacks on civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz continue. On Tuesday, at least four oil tankers were disabled by unidentified projectiles and naval mines while navigating Omani waters.
The price of Brent oil, the international benchmark tracking the price of crude oil, has risen since Tuesday after a massive drop earlier this month. That fall was mostly attributed to reports of a coming breakthrough in diplomacy and promises from President Trump that he would not launch full-scale military strikes against Iran.
Indeed, despite reports that Mr. Trump was preparing to restart kinetic action against Iran after the midterms, U.S. military strikes over the past week have been minimal.
U.S. officials have asserted that any military action in the region is intended to protect allies or commercial shipping.
However, while the U.S. does not appear to be ready to launch a massive military operation against Iran soon, it has also publicly paused diplomacy. Mr. Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. doesn’t need a deal with Iran and asked Vice President J.D. Vance, who previously led diplomatic efforts with Iran, to focus on domestic corruption instead.
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