MANAMA: Explosions echoed over Bahrain before dawn Sunday as Iranian drones struck the tiny Gulf nation for the second time in three days, shattering a months-long pause in attacks and sending residents scrambling for shelter.
Air raid sirens rang out and authorities posted urgent alerts on social media, their first warnings since September, urging people to seek cover. Bahrain's military said it intercepted the attacks, "preventing them from reaching their intended targets," and the foreign ministry said air defense systems shot down the drones.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility, saying six drones from its Aerospace Force targeted a U.S. radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base, which hosts American military facilities including a major naval base. The statement, carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on Telegram, also declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned that "any aggression by the American enemy will be met with an even harsher and more forceful response."
An AFP journalist heard explosions around 4 a.m. local time, with residents reporting a second series of blasts about 6:30 a.m. The interior ministry called on residents to "remain calm, proceed to the nearest safe location, and follow news through official channels."
"It's exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen: Iranian attacks starting again, with all the worry and uncertainty that go with them," Hayat Ibrahim, 65, told AFP.
Mohammed Abdallah, a shopkeeper in the capital, Manama, said he heard the strikes overnight. "I was hoping this period was behind us and wouldn't happen again," he said.
Bahrain's foreign ministry said it "rejects turning its territory into an arena for settling scores and holds Iran fully responsible for these attacks."
The strikes followed a similar attack Friday, the first against Gulf countries since September in a war now in its eighth month. U.S. Central Command said it shot down two Iranian drones in Friday's attack, with no casualties or damage reported. The Guards said Friday's strikes targeted a U.S. early warning radar system in Bahrain, retaliation for this month's American strikes on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Throughout the war, Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, and struck infrastructure including airports, seaports, energy facilities and U.S. assets across the region. Gulf countries have weathered thousands of Iranian drones and missiles since the conflict began Feb. 28.
Centcom, which oversees American military operations in the region, said last month it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer.
President Donald Trump, whose steep midterm election losses were partly blamed on the Iran war, plans to discuss the conflict at a trilateral meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week, an official said Friday.
Months of diplomacy have failed to resolve the war, which began with surprise U.S.-Israeli strikes that assassinated Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
