Bahrain sounds warning sirens amid reports of drone attack on US military site

Manama: Bahrain sounded emergency sirens early Sunday after its Interior Ministry issued a warning of a possible threat, asking residents and citizens to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.

The ministry urged the public to follow safety instructions and monitor official channels for further information but did not disclose the nature of the alert.

Meanwhile, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, citing the Iranian Armed Forces, reported that six drones had targeted a radar facility at a US defence site near the Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain. Tehran described the operation as retaliation for what it termed American provocations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest alert follows an earlier claim by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it had destroyed a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain. The group said the action was in response to an attack on a communications tower in Sirik, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province.

However, US Central Command (CENTCOM) disputed Iran's account, saying American forces had intercepted two Iranian attack drones heading towards Bahrain. It reported no casualties or damage.

IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi separately said Iranian forces were preparing additional targets and expanding operational plans amid the possibility of further attacks. He also claimed that Iran had strengthened its military readiness and that US military installations in the Gulf had failed to ensure regional security.

The conflict began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Although a ceasefire was reached in April, hostilities subsequently resumed as diplomatic efforts stalled.