SRINAGAR: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday rejected Iranian claims that its forces had destroyed a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain, saying two Iranian drones launched towards the Gulf country had been intercepted without causing any damage or injuries.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, CENTCOM described the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) claim as false, stating that US forces had shot down both one-way attack drones launched towards Bahrain.
“The IRGC launched two one-way attack drones towards Bahrain and both were shot down by US forces. There were no injuries or damage,” CENTCOM said.
Earlier on Friday, the IRGC claimed that it had targeted and destroyed a US early-warning radar facility in Bahrain in retaliation for an attack on a telecommunications tower in Iran’s southern Sirik region.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency quoted the IRGC as saying that the operation was intended as a warning to the US and its allies to stop what it described as aerial provocations and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC also said its Aerospace Force was “in full readiness to engage without limits” if such violations and acts of aggression continued.
On Thursday evening, IRNA, citing official sources, reported that Sirik had been hit by an “enemy” strike, a term Iranian authorities frequently use to refer to the US and Israel.
The latest claims and counterclaims come amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance, which began on February 28. Tehran subsequently responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
A memorandum of understanding signed in June to pave the way for a final peace agreement later collapsed amid disagreements, including over navigation through the strategically important strait.
