Bahrain said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks on Sunday, sharpening a dispute over Gulf security as Tehran defends strikes on countries it accuses of aiding U.S. military operations.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the IRGC’s attacks violated international law and state sovereignty. The ministry said, “Bahrain also rejects the use of its territory to settle accounts.” It added that Iran should answer for the outcome of the attacks.
Bahrain’s military said it intercepted several aerial attacks aimed at the kingdom, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said neighboring countries had helped the United States attack Iran. He pointed to missiles, drones and aircraft launched from bases in those countries, as well as logistical support for U.S. forces. Baghaei said Tehran was taking diplomatic action and would continue pressing the issue.
Baghaei invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter to defend Iran’s actions. He said the strikes were defensive and targeted only U.S. military bases and assets used against Iran. Separately, the IRGC said it sent six drones against a U.S. radar at Al-Riffa on Sunday. Bahrain said it intercepted aerial attacks; neither account established whether they described the same event.
Separate reports from Friday covered two claims: the IRGC said it destroyed a U.S. early-warning radar facility in Bahrain, while Bahrain said it intercepted two drones. EconoTimes previously covered the IRGC’s radar claim and Bahrain’s report of drone interceptions.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned Iran’s attacks, saying they violated Bahrain’s sovereignty and threatened its security. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected attacks it said threatened regional stability, adding that Bahrain’s and Gulf states’ security was closely tied to Egyptian national security.
