US Rejects Iranian Claim, Says Two Drones Shot Down Over Bahrain

Tehran/Washington: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday rejected Iran’s claim that it had attacked a US early warning radar in Bahrain. According to CENTCOM, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched two one-way attack drones towards Bahrain, which US forces shot down. There were no casualties or material damage.

Iranian state media said the operation was a response to an airstrike on a telecommunications tower in Hormozgan province.

Meanwhile, Press TV reported that the Iranian army claimed on Friday that its new naval air defence system had shot down a US MQ-1 drone at Kohestak, near the Sirik coast in Hormozgan.

According to IRNA, Deputy IRGC Commander Major General Mostafa Izadi warned at a ceremony that any aggression would be met with an immediate, effective and decisive response, and that Iran’s armed forces had no geographic limits. He said Iran’s opponents aimed to divide the country, overthrow its current leaders, weaken its nuclear and missile capabilities, and seize its oil resources.

These developments came during a temporary pause in the conflict between Iran and the United States. The conflict began on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran and spread across the region. Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Gulf countries and has sought to restrict shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The IRGC Navy said on Friday that an LNG tanker had struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz and suffered an explosion. Iranian media reported that four oil tankers were also hit by explosions on Thursday.