Iran-US-Israel War Latest Update: The war in West Asia is returning with full intensity. After the US took military action against Iran, Bahrain activated missile warning sirens early Wednesday after Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted the island nation in retaliation for US strikes. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior confirmed the alert in a post on X, urging people to seek shelter immediately. “The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”
Iran says it struck the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain
The IRGC claimed its naval forces launched a drone attack against the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time.
“IRGC Navy forces launched a drone attack at 2:30 a.m. against the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain,” the semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted the force as saying.
Iran described the strike as retaliation for US military action earlier in the day against targets in southern Iran.
US says strikes were a defensive response
The US military said it had carried out self-defense strikes after a US Apache helicopter was shot down. In a statement on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces targeted Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz using precision munitions fired from Air Force and Navy fighter jets.
“CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets.”
The US described the operation as a “proportional response” to recent attacks on American forces and international shipping in regional waters.
Explosions reported across southern Iran
Iranian state media reported multiple explosions near strategic locations surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, including Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Jask county.
An IRIB correspondent in Jask said blasts were heard around 2:35 a.m. local time. Other state-linked outlets reported explosions in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas as well. The IRGC later said US strikes hit Jask, Sirik and Qeshm, aligning with several Iranian media reports.
According to Tasnim, the strikes damaged a communications tower in Sirik and destroyed two water reservoirs in the Bamani district.
IRGC claims US MQ-9 drone was shot down
Iran also said its air defenses downed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Jam County in Bushehr Province. The IRGC stated that the drone had approached the “battle area” from the northern Persian Gulf before being intercepted and destroyed by Iranian air defense forces.
The MQ-9 Reaper, a US Air Force surveillance and strike drone, is estimated to cost between $30 million and $32 million per unit. Reports cited military tracking and intelligence assessments suggesting that at least 51 MQ-9 drones have been lost in combat operations across the Middle East, including Iran and Yemen.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a warning about the risks faced by foreign military forces operating near Iran.
“Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire,”
Araghchi wrote, adding, “To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave.”
Also Read: Iran-US-Israel War LIVE and Latest Updates
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
