Iran launches drones at Bahrain following US retaliatory airstrikes
Iran launches drones at Bahrain following US retaliatory airstrikes
In a significant escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran, Iran has launched a drone assault targeting Bahrain, according to a statement from Bahrain's Foreign Ministry. The attack, which was carried out by "a number of Iranian drones," has been condemned by Bahrain as "a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents."
The drone attack on Bahrain comes after the US launched airstrikes on Iran in response to an Iranian drone attack on a ship trying to get out of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The US had accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement between the two countries, which was reached earlier this month. The US military's Central Command said the strikes were a response to "unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces" that "clearly violated the ceasefire."
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Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier on Saturday issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency saying it had targeted several locations "of the U.S. Terrorist army in the region." The US military said the strikes on Iran were carried out by six land-based US aircraft and targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and radar sites. The US Central Command said the strikes were a "powerful response" to Iran's "dangerous behavior."
According to CBS News, the US has encouraged ships to use the Omani route, while Iran insists that all vessels must seek its permission before transiting the strait, and use the route closer to its coastline. The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, said Saturday that it would expand a route near Oman in the strait to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic, likely setting up a new flashpoint with Tehran.
The conflict between the US and Iran has also had significant implications for the oil market, with oil prices dropping about 4% on Friday as fears appeared to ease after Iran attacked a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The cargo ship, which the US military's Central Command said was hit by Iran, resumed its transit through the strait with the crew, vessel, and cargo "unharmed," Taiwanese shipping operator Evergreen Marine said Friday.
International benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at about $72 a barrel Friday, not far from the $70 prices seen before the war began. The attack has rattled the fragile confidence of shipowners and crews, though ships continued to transit through the narrow corridor on Friday, said DNB Carnegie analysts.
The US and Iran have established a communications line to prevent further military incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state-backed Press TV. The line was established after Pakistani and Qatari mediators said Monday that Iran and the US had agreed to establish the line of communication following their first round of direct talks, held Sunday in Switzerland.
In a related development, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time West Asia adversaries. The agreement, which includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers take control of two areas occupied by Israel, as well as a process aimed at disarming Hezbollah, is the result of five rounds of talks in the US capital.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors to the US to announce the framework agreement, which was described as a first step towards peace.
Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Friday that further attacks would be met with force, saying "violence will be met with violence."
