WASHINGTOn (AP) —The U.S. military said it intercepted two Iranian attack drones headed toward Bahrain, as Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed it struck a U.S. early warning radar system in the kingdom. The Guard also said a tanker struck a naval mine while attempting to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
US says it intercepted Iranian drones after Iran claims strike in Bahrain
The U.S. military said Friday it shot down two Iranian attack drones headed toward Bahrain, denying Iran’s claim that it had struck a U.S. radar system in the kingdom. CENTCOM, the U.S. command center covering the region, said there were no injuries or damage.
Iran's official IRNA news agency cited a Revolutionary Guard statement that said the attack on the radar system followed a U.S. strike on a telecommunications pole in the southern Iranian port of Sirik. It was Iran's first report of targeting a facility in Bahrain since September.
During an air war that began in February, Iran targeted U.S. bases in neighboring Arab nations including Bahrain in retaliation for U.S. strikes. Since then, Iran has routinely targeted oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for international oil shipments.
Bahrain's Ministry of Information did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Iran says a tanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday that a liquefied petroleum gas tanker struck a mine, causing an explosion, while trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The Guard said the vessel ignored repeated warnings while transiting the eastern part of the strait. The claim could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate report of the incident from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military agency that monitors incidents at sea.
Iran: Nuclear monitoring cannot proceed while under threat
Iran told the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that discussions on nuclear monitoring cannot proceed while the country is facing military threats.
According to a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran insists inspections cannot resume amid threats from the U.S. to target its nuclear facilities.
Iran hasn’t given inspectors access to sites affected by Israeli and U.S. strikes during the June 2025 war. The IAEA said the lack of information needs urgent resolution and urged Iran to consider measures to allow the inspectors’ return.