IRGC claims drone strikes on US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, warns of ‘heavier responses’ as Gulf conflict deepens
Unverified IRGC attack claim deepens US-Iran tensions in Gulf waters
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces launched a drone attack against the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain early Wednesday, claiming the strike was retaliation for recent US attacks on infrastructure in southern Iran.
In a statement, the IRGC said Shahed-136 one-way attack drones targeted the Fifth Fleet's base in Manama at approximately 2:30 am local time (3.30am GST).
Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
The group claimed the operation was carried out in response to US strikes on Jask, Sirik, and Qeshm that reportedly damaged a telecommunications tower and destroyed two water storage tanks in the Bemani district along Iran's southern coast.
"The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the city," the Guards said in a statement quoted by Iranian media.
"In response to the enemy's vicious move, the IRGC naval fighters launched a drone strike on the Bahraini 5th Navy at 2:30 am (2300 GMT Tuesday)," they added, warning "heavier responses" if the attacks continue.
The IRGC, a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces that was established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, alleged that clashes were "still ongoing" and warned that any further US military action would trigger a "stronger response".
The attack claim could not be independently verified.
There were no immediate reports from Bahraini authorities, US Central Command (CentCom), or the US Navy confirming damage to the Fifth Fleet headquarters.
Competing narratives
The latest statement follows a pattern of competing narratives between Washington and Tehran as tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure, while US officials say their operations are aimed at military and surveillance assets linked to Iranian threats against shipping in the Gulf.
The Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, oversees US naval operations across the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, making it one of Washington's most strategically important military commands in the Middle East.
Previous Iranian claims of successful strikes against the Fifth Fleet have been rejected by CentCom.
After an earlier alleged attack, US military officials dismissed Tehran's assertions, stating that no such strike had succeeded and that Iranian claims were false.
The latest exchange comes amid a broader confrontation between Iran and the United States centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
A sustained escalation in the area could heighten risks to global energy markets and regional security.
