The key facts

  • Iran's IRGC claimed the destruction of a US radar in Bahrain; CENTCOM denies this
  • According to CENTCOM, two one-way attack drones were shot down, with no casualties or damage
  • Iran continues to seek control over the Strait of Hormuz; the war has been ongoing since February 28

Mutual claims of a strike

On Friday The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its aerospace forces had 'targeted and destroyed' an American early-warning radar in Bahrain. The attack was described as a response to a strike on a telecommunications tower in Iran's Sirik district on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's state agency IRNA quoted the IRGC as saying the strike should serve as a 'serious warning' to the adversary to stop air provocations and oil smuggling in the strait, and that the aerospace forces were 'fully ready to act without restrictions' if the violations continued. This was reported by Anadolu and Deutsche Welle.

CENTCOM's response

A few hours later US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that the IRGC's claim was falseAccording to CENTCOM, the IRGC launched two one-way attack drones toward Bahrain; both were shot down by American forces, with no casualties or damage. Thus, the two sides present opposite pictures of the same event: Tehran claims the radar was destroyed, while Washington says the drones were intercepted; neither account has independent confirmation in the publications.

Context: the war and the strait

The war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other began on February 28 with strikes on Iran, after which Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. A memorandum of understanding signed in June as a step toward a final peace agreement later fell apart over disagreements, including on shipping in the strait. According to Deutsche Welle, the conflict is now in a de-escalation phase with the main issues unresolved: the US and Israel are refraining from major strikes following elections held in recent weeks, while Tehran continues to seek control over the strait and attack vessels it considers unauthorized users of the waterway. The US Navy, which has been interdicting Iranian vessels, recently escorted tankers through the strait in an area where there were reports of burning ships. US-Iran peace talks mediated by Pakistan in April produced no results.