Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Friday morning that it attacked and destroyed an American early warning radar in Bahrain. The IRGC said the attack was a response to an airstrike on a communications tower in the Sirik area of Hormozgan province, near the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement came hours after Iranian media reported explosions in the area. Neither the United States nor Bahrain has issued an official response, and the claim that the radar was destroyed rests so far solely on the IRGC's statement.
On Thursday night, Iran's state news agency IRNA quoted officials as saying that Sirik had been struck by an "enemy attack" of a military nature. The officials did not say who was responsible. Media outlets close to the IRGC had earlier reported several explosions heard in the area, and one explanation raised at the time was that the blasts were warning shots fired at vessels.
A few hours later, the IRGC released a more detailed statement through the Tasnim news agency. It said the organization's Aerospace Force had attacked and destroyed a US military radar in Bahrain in response to the strike on the Sirik communications tower.
The Revolutionary Guards called the attack a serious warning to what they termed "the aggressor enemy." They demanded an end to the air operations and to what they described as oil smuggling through the Strait of Hormuz. They also threatened that if actions against them continue, they are prepared to respond without geographic limits.
