Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it had “destroyed” an American radar in Bahrain. The U.S. military says the truth is very different: both Iranian attack drones were blown out of the sky, and nothing was hit.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday that U.S. forces shot down two one-way attack drones launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) toward Bahrain, the small Gulf kingdom that hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
“The IRGC launched two one-way attack drones toward Bahrain and both were shot down by US forces. There were no injuries or damage,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
Iran’s claim falls apart
Hours earlier, the Guard had boasted that its aerospace force “targeted and destroyed the American aggressors’ early-warning radar on the island of Bahrain,” in a statement carried by the Guard-affiliated Fars news agency, according to Iran International. Iranian state media also published an image it said showed the damaged radar station.
CENTCOM rejected that account outright, labeling its response a “Fact Check” and describing the Guard’s claim as false. The Associated Press reported that Iran’s claim of striking the radar could not be independently verified.
Tehran’s excuse
The Guard said the drone launch was retaliation for what it called “the enemy’s aerial aggression” against a telecommunications tower in Sirik, a coastal town in Iran’s Hormozgan province east of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said Sirik was struck on Thursday but did not say who carried out the strike.
The Guard called the attack “a serious warning” over what it described as aerial provocations and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz, and said its aerospace force was on full alert for an “unrestricted response” if what it called violations continued. The Guard separately claimed that a tanker struck a naval mine while trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. The AP said that account also could not be independently verified.
Trump: “No hesitation”
The interception came a day after President Trump said he would not hesitate to use military force if Iran threatens America’s allies or ships. Asked in an interview with the Salem News Channel whether he would hesitate, he answered: “No hesitation. We’re doing very well with it right now.”
Trump also declared on Thursday that the U.S. no longer needs a deal with Tehran. “We don’t need a deal with Iran,” he wrote. “Those days have long since passed.”
For now, the scoreboard in Bahrain is simple: two Iranian drones launched, two Iranian drones shot down, and no damage on the American side, according to CENTCOM.
Reporting from U.S. Central Command statements, the Associated Press, Reuters, Iran International and Anadolu Agency.