MANAMA, Nov. 15 – Iran launched a drone attack on a US military base in Bahrain on Sunday, its second attempt to target the Gulf kingdom in three days, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to rise.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted the US air defence radar facility at al-Riffa Air Base using six drones, the BBC reported.
Bahrain says attacks intercepted
Bahrain’s military said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the Iranian attacks “before they could achieve their objectives”. Sirens sounded across the country and the Interior Ministry urged residents to “remain calm” and proceed to the nearest safe location.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain condemns in the strongest terms the continued brutal Iranian attacks on its territory and holds Iran fully responsible for their consequences,” Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement shared by Iran’s state broadcaster, the IRGC said: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and more forceful response.”
Second attack in three days
On Friday, the IRGC claimed it had destroyed a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain. The US military’s Central Command denied the claim, saying it shot down two IRGC drones and that there were no injuries or damage. The US military had yet to comment on Sunday’s claim, Al Jazeera reported.
Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply usually flows through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping has been restricted since the US-Israel war on Iran began in February.
A preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the strait, reached in June, collapsed within weeks. This week US President Donald Trump said Washington was no longer interested in a deal to end the war, according to the BBC.
Why it matters for Ghana
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz affects global crude prices, which feed into fuel pump prices in import-dependent economies such as Ghana.
Source: BBC; Al Jazeera.
Featured image: Oye News GH graphic.
