Iran and US report conflicting accounts of military engagement in Bahrain

On November 13, 2026, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have destroyed an American early-warning radar system in Bahrain. The IRGC stated this action was retaliation for a recent strike on a telecommunications tower in the Iranian port city of Sirik. The regional conflict has intensified since February 28, following joint US-Israeli air strikes against Iran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) categorically denied the Iranian claim regarding the radar destruction, stating there were no casualties or material damage to US assets in Bahrain, which hosts the US 5th Fleet. Instead, CENTCOM reported that American forces successfully intercepted and destroyed two Iranian one-way attack drones that were heading toward the island nation. Both sides provided conflicting narratives, with Iran asserting a successful tactical strike while the US maintains that its defense systems successfully thwarted the drone attack without sustaining damage.