Iran launches second drone attack in three days on US base in Bahrain

Iran launched drone attacks against a US military base in Bahrain on Sunday, the second such strike in three days, casting further doubt on stalled peace talks between Tehran and Washington and raising the prospect of wider escalation across the Gulf.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it fired six drones targeting a US air-defence radar at the Al-Rifaa helicopter base, describing the action as retaliation for "hostile US actions." Authorities in Bahrain said air defences intercepted the drones before they reached their targets.

Blasts sounded over the Gulf nation as the attack unfolded. It followed a similar Iranian drone operation three days earlier, as US forces have conducted a series of strikes against Iranian targets in recent weeks, including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran signals no pause

At a press conference in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran would continue to respond to any military aggression by the United States or other states. Asked whether the latest strikes marked a change in Iranian direction as negotiations have stalled, he said Iran was "not waiting for anyone" and was focused on its security.

President Donald Trump last week described the recent US strikes as minor and said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states had cautioned him against large-scale combat operations. He also said Washington was no longer seeking a deal with Iran and that he had instructed Vice-President JD Vance to shift his focus to alleged corruption and fraud in Democrat-run cities and states.

Vance, who blamed the Republicans' loss of Congress in the midterm elections on the Iran war, had requested a personal meeting with Iranian negotiators to discuss peace terms.

Regional fallout

A conflict that began with joint US and Israeli attacks against Iran in February remains at an impasse, with the US maintaining a naval blockade and Iran its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has targeted Bahrain repeatedly since 28 February 2026, when retaliatory missile and drone strikes hit buildings in the capital, Manama, including the Juffair district that hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters.

In a separate development, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that two ships struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz and that one, an oil supertanker carrying 2 million barrels, sank. There was no immediate independent verification, and the US military recently said it had cleared all mines from the waterway's main routes.

In Yemen, Iran's Houthi allies advanced against pro-government forces in the south, opening a potential route toward Aden.