Iran Claims Attack on US Military Radar in Bahrain. Revolutionary Guard Warns of More Strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed Friday that it had destroyed a U.S. military early-warning radar installation in Bahrain, warning of further retaliation as tensions between Washington and Tehran threaten to disrupt a fragile lull in the eight-month conflict.

The alleged strike would mark Iran's first reported attack on American military assets in a Gulf country since early September. However, neither the U.S. military nor Bahrain has confirmed that an attack occurred, and there is no independent evidence establishing that the radar installation was damaged or destroyed.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its aerospace forces carried out the operation in retaliation for what it described as an enemy airstrike on a telecommunications tower in Sirik, a coastal town in the southern province of Hormozgan.

"In response to the enemy's aerial aggression against a telecommunications tower in Sirik, IRGC Aerospace Force fighters targeted and destroyed the American aggressors' early-warning radar on the island of Bahrain a few hours ago," the Guard said in a statement carried by Iran's Tasnim news agency.

The Guard described the alleged operation as a warning to Washington to end what it called aerial provocations and oil smuggling through the Strait of Hormuz.

It also threatened further strikes if it believed the activities continued, saying its aerospace forces were prepared to respond without geographical restrictions. Companies accused of cooperating with the United States could also face additional punitive measures, the statement said.

Iranian state media reported Thursday that Sirik had been targeted by enemy fire, although the circumstances of that incident and the extent of the damage have not been independently established.

The reported retaliation comes at a sensitive moment for Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and has been a frequent target of Iranian attacks during the conflict.

Bahrain and other Gulf countries hosting American military facilities faced missile and drone attacks after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran said those operations were directed at American military interests, while Gulf governments condemned attacks on their territories.

Friday's announcement is the first such claim involving American military assets in a Gulf country in more than two months.

The Associated Press said U.S. Central Command and Bahrain's Ministry of Information had not immediately responded to requests for comment about the latest claim.

The development comes as President Donald Trump faces renewed questions about whether Washington intends to resume large-scale military operations against Iran or continue relying on economic pressure.

Trump said Thursday that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had urged him to hold off on further strikes, despite his willingness to authorize additional attacks.

"Saudi Arabia has asked me to please just let it be the way it is now for a while," Trump said during an interview with Stephen A. Smith at the White House, adding that other Gulf governments preferred maintaining the current approach.

The president also claimed American forces could destroy much of Iran's energy infrastructure, bridges and manufacturing facilities within days, although he said Washington had largely avoided targeting those assets.

Trump's account of the Gulf countries' requests has not been independently confirmed by all the governments he named.

The United States continues to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran has imposed restrictions on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and natural gas shipments.

Washington has maintained that the blockade is intended to restrict Iran's oil trade and financial resources. Iranian officials have condemned the operation and warned that ships attempting to pass through restricted areas without authorization could face consequences.

A separate confrontation at sea was reported Friday when the Revolutionary Guard claimed that a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a naval mine and exploded while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guard alleged that the vessel had ignored repeated warnings before entering a restricted shipping route. The claim, carried by Iran's official IRNA news agency, could not be independently verified.

There was also no immediate confirmation from United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the British military agency responsible for monitoring maritime security incidents, according to the Associated Press.