Iran launches drone attack on Bahrain and a tanker is struck in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran launched a drone assault that targeted Bahrain on Saturday, while a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was also struck. The attacks came after the United States conducted overnight airstrikes in response to an earlier Iranian drone incident involving a container ship.

Bahrain’s foreign ministry said a number of Iranian drones were directed at the country, describing the incident as a threat to the security of citizens and residents. No immediate damage was reported. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had hit several locations belonging to the U.S. military presence in the region.

The U.S. Central Command confirmed that its forces struck Iranian missile and drone sites and coastal radar installations during the overnight operation. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the cease-fire negotiations, urged Iran to resume dialogue, stating that “violence will be met with violence.”

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that a tanker was attacked in the strait; the crew was unharmed and no environmental damage was observed. While no group claimed responsibility, analysts suspect Iranian involvement. The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the U.S. Navy, announced an expansion of a navigation route near Oman’s coast to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic, warning that the threat to vessels remains “substantial” and that mines may be present.

Iranian parliamentarian Ebrahim Azizi reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iranian jurisdiction and urged respect for its rules, a stance rejected by the United States and Gulf Arab states, which consider the waterway an international passage.