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Iran Claims Strike on US Early-Warning Radar in Bahrain After Sirik Telecom Attack

RAGE Global · Gulf · Iran · Bahrain · Claimed · 6 min read

By Carlos KfouryPublished

Slide 01 of 05

  1. Breaking, Gulf, 13 November 2026. A satellite file image of a walled compound with two white radome domes, labelled: file image, site unverified, credit to confirm. Claimed, IRGC. Headline: "Iran claims strike on US radar in Bahrain." Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they targeted an American early-warning radar installation in Bahrain. No confirmation yet from the US or Bahrain.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they targeted and destroyed a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain, in a statement carried by Iranian state media on Friday 13 November 2026. The Guards say it was retaliation for an air attack on a telecom tower in Sirik, in southern Iran. There is no confirmation from the United States or Bahrain. Reuters reports that it is the first such Iranian claim against US assets in a Gulf country since early September, and it comes during a fragile lull in the wider US–Iran war.

Key takeaways

  • The claim: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force says it "targeted and destroyed" a US early-warning radar in Bahrain.
  • Not confirmed: neither Washington nor Manama had commented in the reports reviewed, and the damage has not been independently verified.
  • The stated reason: retaliation for an air attack on a telecom tower in Sirik, in Hormozgan province, which Iranian state media reported on Thursday 12 November.
  • The significance: Reuters says it is the first such claim against US assets in a Gulf country since early September.
  • The setting: Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Confidence: CLAIMED (IRGC), UNVERIFIED. RAGE X reports the IRGC's statement as a statement. Nothing in this article confirms that a radar was struck or destroyed.

What the Guards say they did#

According to the IRGC statement, carried by state media and the Tasnim news agency and reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera:

Item What was claimed
Who IRGC Aerospace Force
Target A US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain
Claim The radar was "targeted and destroyed"
Stated reason An air attack on a telecom tower in Sirik, southern Iran
Confirmed by No one outside the IRGC; no US or Bahraini comment

The Guards described the strike as a serious warning to stop what they call "aerial provocations" and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state outlets also carried a warning that the Aerospace Force is on full alert if what the Guards call violations and aggression continue.

The IRGC statement did not, in the reports reviewed, give the radar's exact location, any evidence of damage or any casualty figures.

The Sirik incident#

The Guards' claim follows a report from IRNA, Iran's state news agency, on Thursday 12 November that Sirik county in Hormozgan province had come under an attack it attributed to the enemy. IRNA did not name an attacker, say what was hit or describe the damage. The Guards later described the target as a telecom tower and said it was hit in an air attack.

That account has not been independently confirmed either. RAGE X has seen no statement from the US or Israel about Sirik.

Why Bahrain matters#

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which makes it one of the most significant places for Iran to name as a target. An early-warning radar there would feed missile and air defence across the region.

Earlier Iranian claims of damage to US assets have been disputed by US Central Command in past episodes, which is one reason such claims are treated as unverified until the US or independent evidence addresses them.

The backdrop: a fragile lull, now tested#

  • The war: the conflict between the US and Iran began on 28 February 2026 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and has since spread across the region.
  • The blockade: the US has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports. On 8 November, US Central Command announced a task force to disrupt Iran's land-based supply routes, widening the blockade.
  • The talks: on 2 November, President Donald Trump signalled progress towards a deal. On 11 November, Iran's security chief said Tehran was waiting for a US response to its seven conditions for peace talks, denied that negotiations were under way, and said the Strait of Hormuz would stay shut until the conditions are met. The same day the IRGC said at least three ships had hit mines in the strait.
  • The lull: Reuters describes the current period as a fragile lull. Friday's claim is the first of its kind against US assets in a Gulf country since early September.

What is known#

Item Status
The IRGC says it destroyed a US early-warning radar in Bahrain Claimed
IRNA reported an enemy attack on Sirik on 12 November Reported
The target in Sirik was a telecom tower, hit in an air attack Claimed (IRGC)
First such Iranian claim against US assets in a Gulf country since early September Reported (Reuters)
The radar was hit, damaged or destroyed Not confirmed
A US or Bahraini response None reported

Questions answered#

Did Iran destroy a US radar in Bahrain? The IRGC says so. Neither the US nor Bahrain has confirmed it, and no independent evidence has been published.

Why did the IRGC say it attacked? The Guards say it was in retaliation for an air attack on a telecom tower in Sirik, and a warning against "aerial provocations" and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz.

Who hosts the US military in Bahrain? Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters.

Has the US responded? Not in the reports reviewed.

Our read · RAGE Intel assessment

A strike on US military infrastructure in a Gulf host country would be a potential escalation, and Bahrain is one of the most sensitive places for Iran to name. But the claim is unconfirmed, and several features of it point to signalling rather than a decision to widen the war: it is framed as a response to one specific incident, it is described as a warning, and it comes with no reported casualties.

Iranian state media and the IRGC have an interest in showing that attacks on Iranian territory carry a cost, whether or not damage was done. The test is what the US and Bahrain say, and whether any independent imagery or reporting backs the Guards' account.

This is an assessment, not a finding. It will change if the US or Bahrain confirms damage, if the claim is denied, or if there are further strikes on US assets in the Gulf.

What to watch#

  • A US response: a statement from US Central Command, the Pentagon or the Fifth Fleet, confirming, denying or correcting the claim.
  • Bahrain: any statement from the Bahraini government or defence forces.
  • The Strait of Hormuz: US action near the strait, and the blockade's expansion.
  • Tankers: movements of oil tankers and any new incidents involving ships.
  • More claims: whether the IRGC makes further claims against US assets in the Gulf, or whether the lull holds.

This story is developing. RAGE X will update it as new information is confirmed. For earlier coverage, see our Iran coverage.

Sources#

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