Bahrain Issues Nationwide Threat Alert as Iran Claims Drone Strikes on US Bases

The ministry told citizens and residents to stay calm, move to the nearest safe location and follow developments through official channels. It did not say what the threat was or name any potential targets.

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, which makes it a key centre for American military operations in the Gulf. Washington has not confirmed the latest reported attacks.

Iran's Fars news agency, citing its defence correspondent, said the IRGC had carried out successful attacks on US bases in Bahrain in response to US actions against Iran. It gave no details of targets, weapons or damage. The Iran-aligned Sabereen News Telegram channel described "an Iranian drone attack on targets of the American enemy in Bahrain" and said "the sounds of explosions are still being heard in Bahrain" in the morning.

The claims follow an IRGC statement late on Saturday night that six drones had targeted a US air defence radar installation at Bahrain's Riffa helicopter base. The Guards called it the second phase of their retaliation against the United States. On Friday, US Central Command said it had intercepted two Iranian one-way attack drones heading for Bahrain, with no injuries or damage reported, and disputed an earlier IRGC claim to have destroyed an American early-warning radar.

The IRGC Navy also claimed that two oil tankers had exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while trying to use what it called an unauthorised route south of the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement on its affiliated Sepah News Telegram channel, it said the ships had switched off their navigation and automatic identification systems to avoid detection, and that two other tankers abandoned the passage and turned back after warnings.

The claim has not been independently verified. The Guards gave no vessel names, flags or ownership details, and maritime authorities have not confirmed that any ships struck mines. Those authorities have reported projectile-related incidents in the region, but these are separate from the IRGC's mine claim.

In Saudi Arabia, air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Two drones were also intercepted and destroyed over the kingdom's Eastern Region.

On Friday, Gulf Arab states demanded that Iran pay full compensation for damage caused by thousands of missile and drone attacks since February, and called on the UN Security Council to hold Tehran accountable and prevent further strikes. Separately, President Donald Trump has told senior advisers he may hold off on attacking Tehran.