Bahrain said its air defenses intercepted Iranian aerial attacks early Sunday, Nov. 15, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it sent drones at a U.S. radar at the kingdom’s Riffa air base. It was the second Iranian attack on Bahrain in three days, and it drew condemnation from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.[1][2]
Related: Iran Says It Destroyed a U.S. Radar in Bahrain; CENTCOM Says Two Drones Were Shot Down.
What happened in Bahrain
Sirens sounded and explosions were heard around 4 a.m. local time, with residents reporting a second series of blasts around 6:30 a.m., an AFP journalist reported. Bahrain’s interior ministry urged residents on X to stay calm and move to the nearest safe location, without naming the source of the threat.[2] It was Bahrain’s first nationwide alert in months.[5]
Bahrain’s military said its air defense systems intercepted the attacks before they could reach their targets, and accused Iran of keeping up a systematic hostile approach.[2] Bahrain’s statements did not mention casualties. The Riffa base is used by the U.S. military.[1] Bahrain is also home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.[4]
What Iran claims
In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster on Telegram, the IRGC said six drones from its Aerospace Force targeted “the US air defense radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base.” The statement added that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and warned that any U.S. aggression would meet a harsher response.[2] Unverified claim, IRIB (Iranian state).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said at a news conference Sunday that Tehran has documented Gulf states’ help for U.S. strikes on Iran, including missiles, drones and aircraft launched from their bases and logistical support. He said the attacks are justified as self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, are purely defensive and target only U.S. bases and assets used against Iran.[1]
Bahrain and its neighbors respond
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced what it called a resumption of Iranian aggression, said “no pretext can legitimise violations of state sovereignty,” and held Iran fully responsible for the attacks and their consequences. It also rejected the use of its territory to settle accounts with the United States.[1]
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attacks and expressed full solidarity with Manama.[3] Jordan’s Foreign Ministry called them a flagrant violation of Bahrain’s sovereignty, and Egypt said the security of Bahrain and the Gulf states is closely linked to its own.[1]
Why it matters
On Friday, Nov. 13, the IRGC said it had destroyed a U.S. early-warning radar in Bahrain. U.S. Central Command rejected that claim, saying Iran launched two attack drones and U.S. forces shot both down, with no injuries or damage.[4] Iran struck Bahrain and most other U.S. Gulf allies with daily rocket and drone attacks earlier in the war, but far fewer attacks were reported after major hostilities ended in the summer.[4]
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran said Iran had held back during weeks of intermittent U.S. strikes on its southern military assets, including telecommunications towers, and suggested the two attacks on Bahrain may mark a new rule of engagement.[1] The escalation follows Iranian reports of three tankers hitting mines in Hormuz and President Donald Trump’s post on Thursday, Nov. 12, saying the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran.[4]
What happens next
Baghaei said Iran is taking diplomatic action over the Gulf states’ role and would pursue the issue seriously.[1] In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two Houthi drones near Riyadh and over the south on Saturday.[4]
More on U.S. officials facing Iranian threats: Bessent says he won’t be cowed. Follow the war on our Iran War Tracker and the Warfare page.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Bahrain accuses Iran of attacking its territory to ‘settle’ score with US
- Arab News (AFP): Blasts, sirens in Bahrain as Iran announces attack on US base
- Arab News: Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attacks on Bahrain
- CBS News: Live Updates: Bahrain says it intercepted Iranian attacks after Tehran claims it targeted U.S. assets
- The National: Bahrain intercepts Iranian attacks after first nationwide alert in months
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