In retaliation for recent US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) executed a series of missile and drone attacks targeting US allies Bahrain and Jordan, as well as commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC specifically aimed at facilities linked to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, setting fire to fuel storage sites and destroying several key radar systems, including Patriot air defense and C-RAM early warning radars. In Jordan, Iranian missiles struck an air base housing US forces, which the IRGC said was used to launch attacks against Iran.
Bahrain’s Defense Force responded by intercepting multiple incoming projectiles, condemning the attacks as violations of international humanitarian law due to their deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Jordanian officials reported successfully shooting down several missiles crossing into their airspace, with no injuries reported in either country.
The assaults on maritime traffic came amid escalating tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping lane. Two vessels linked to the United Arab Emirates, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, caught fire after Iranian attacks, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries among crew members, according to the Emirati Defense Ministry.
This escalation occurred days after Tehran announced it was closing the Strait, intensifying a series of confrontations following US-led strikes against Iranian military sites. The US has increased military pressure in response to Iranian aggression, with a focus on enforcing naval blockades and holding Tehran accountable for attacks on commercial shipping and regional partners.