Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it launched drone attacks targeting the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain in response to American military strikes on locations in southern Iran, marking a further escalation in tensions between the two countries.
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In a statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC said the operation was conducted after US forces carried out what it described as attacks on several sites in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm. The group warned that any continuation of US military action would trigger an even stronger response.
According to the IRGC, the American strikes damaged a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroyed two water tanks in the city. The statement accused Washington of carrying out the attacks under “false pretexts” and vowed that Iran would defend its sovereignty against any further aggression.
🚨 VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF IRGC STRIKING US FIFTH FLEET BASE IN BAHRAIN ~RT https://t.co/ySIqc06Poe pic.twitter.com/mkTvQzr4M8
— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) June 10, 2026
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier that it had conducted “self-defence strikes” against Iranian targets following the downing of a US Apache attack helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has described the strikes as a proportional response to the incident, which further strained an already fragile ceasefire environment in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States had chosen to “test our determination” and warned that Iran’s armed forces would respond to any attack or threat. He also reiterated Tehran’s position that foreign military forces should leave the region to reduce the risk of confrontation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s deputy foreign minister stated that Tehran did not intentionally target the US helicopter, suggesting the incident may not have been a deliberate act against American forces.
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The developments come amid heightened instability across the Middle East. In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes reportedly killed nearly 20 people, while fresh displacement warnings forced thousands of civilians to flee. Gaza’s Health Ministry also accused Israel of preventing critically ill Palestinians from accessing medical treatment abroad, further intensifying concerns over the humanitarian situation in the region.