DUBAI — Iran said it carried out strikes against targets linked to U.S. forces on Saturday, while Bahrain said Iranian drones attacked its territory hours after U.S. forces struck Iranian military sites along the country's southern coast, marking a sharp escalation in tensions despite a recent interim agreement intended to halt months of hostilities.
The developments raised new concerns about the stability of the fragile U.S.-Iran understanding reached earlier this month. Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, condemned what it described as an attack on its sovereignty, while Iran characterized its military action as retaliation for U.S. airstrikes that it said violated the agreement and international law. Independent verification of all claims was not immediately available.
Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a number of Iranian drones targeted the kingdom, calling the incident "a flagrant violation of its sovereignty" and "a threat to the security of citizens and residents." The ministry said Bahrain reserved the right to take measures necessary to protect its security.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said its actions targeted sites linked to U.S. forces in response to what it described as "the barbaric air strikes" carried out by the United States against Iranian missile, drone and coastal surveillance facilities. The ministry did not specify the locations of the targets it said had been struck.
The U.S. military strikes followed an earlier Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials, who said the American operation targeted missile storage locations, drone facilities and coastal radar sites. Washington has maintained the strikes were a limited response to protect freedom of navigation, while Tehran has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire framework.
"The United States has honored its commitments," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said, warning that further Iranian attacks would draw additional responses. The White House had not issued further public comment at the time of publication.
Separately, a commercial tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations organization and maritime security officials. The vessel sustained damage, but initial reports indicated there were no casualties. No party immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.
As of late Saturday, Bahrain had not reported casualties from the drone attack, and authorities continued assessing the situation. Iranian and U.S. officials maintained competing accounts of the latest exchanges, while maritime security agencies warned that risks to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remained elevated.
