Iran strikes again in Bahrain, warning from the Gulf: 'no to escalation'

The target was a US air defense radar structure located at the al-Riffa base in Bahrain. Iran launched the attack in the morning using six drones. Sirens sounded across the country while the Interior Ministry in Manama issued an alert urging citizens to reach the nearest shelter. Then came reassurance from the armed forces: air defense systems intercepted and destroyed the Iranian drones "before they could reach their targets." It is the second attack in a few days that Tehran has carried out against the Gulf country, immediately drawing reactions from the region's capitals with calls not to trigger a new escalation in the region, where Iran had stopped striking since September. This comes as negotiations with the US remain stalled and Washington — or President Donald Trump himself — has still not commented on next steps, disappointing those who were hoping for some kind of breakthrough on the Iranian dossier after the midterm vote. In claiming the attack, the Revolutionary Guards reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that any new US aggression will receive an "even harsher and more devastating" response. Tehran is thus pushing to keep attention on the 'contested' waterway: mines continue to blow up tankers — and supertankers, as in the latest incident reported by Iran — transiting through what it describes as the "unauthorized route." The supertanker, the Revolutionary Guards Navy claims, was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil and has sunk. Meanwhile, Tehran appears to be downplaying the 'nuclear chapter,' despite a new — and very harsh — exchange with the IAEA, which has asked to send its inspectors back into the country. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency for adopting a biased approach under the influence of the United States, stating that its conduct undermines its credibility and makes any improvement in relations impossible. At the weekly press conference, the spokesman disputed a recent report by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, arguing that the Agency suffers from a structural problem in the way it publishes its documents. A shortcoming, in his view, that he describes as a gap to be filled and one that — he adds — appears intentional. In summary, Baqaei stated that the IAEA, influenced by the United States and their partisan approach, continues to insist on the same line of action. "The IAEA must decide whether it wants to be a technical body or whether it intends to remain under the influence of certain countries," he said. And when asked whether Iran, as part of a possible agreement with the United States, might reduce or temporarily suspend uranium enrichment, Baghaei was unequivocal: "No. We are not at that point at all. At the moment we are not discussing, nor have we discussed in this period, any details related to the nuclear issue." On the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Yemen's pro-government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have meanwhile announced their withdrawal from an area overlooking the Strait, ceding control to the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran and thus gain greater influence over this strategic point of maritime traffic, creating a powerful pressure point on global shipping, while the death toll in a missile attack launched by the Houthis near Aden stands at 8. The Yemeni army stated in a communiqué that it is redistributing troops from the strategic area of the Bab al-Mandab Strait to reinforce forces "where current circumstances require." Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA