Iran 'hits US radar' in Bahrain

INTERNATIONAL BUREAU —Iran said on Friday that it had destroyed a US early-warning radar system in Bahrain and reported an explosion aboard a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier after it struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, as the conflict continued to threaten security across the Gulf and neighbouring Yemen.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its Aerospace Force had targeted and destroyed the American radar system in Bahrain in retaliation for a US air attack on a telecommunications tower in Iran's Hormozgan province, near the Strait of Hormuz. However, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the claim, saying its forces had intercepted two one-way attack drones launched by the IRGC towards Bahrain.

It reported no casualties or damage. Bahrain did not immediately comment on the incident. The IRGC described the operation as a warning to Washington to stop "aerial provocations and oil smuggling" through the strategic waterway. Bahrain hosts major US military installations and has repeatedly come under Iranian attacks during the conflict.

In a separate statement, the IRGC said an LNG carrier had exploded after striking a naval mine while attempting to cross an unauthorised passage south of the Strait. They did not identify the vessel or disclose its origin. Iran has repeatedly reported fires and explosions aboard vessels in the waterway, often attributing them to naval mines.

The US military, however, has said it cleared the main shipping routes through the Strait of mines. Since the outbreak of the war on February 28, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has sought to restrict maritime traffic through Hormuz, insisting that vessels obtain its authorisation before passage.

Washington has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The confrontation has also spread to Yemen, where the internationally recognised government is strengthening defensive positions around Aden as Iran-backed Houthi fighters advance towards the province, according to three military officials who spoke to AFP.

The officials said the Houthis had seized strategic hilltops in the Al-Madaribah wal Ara district, overlooking Aden, the government's interim capital. Government forces have been directed to establish fortifications west and north of the province, including sandbag positions and tunnels.

Fighting has intensified since a fragile truce collapsed in July, with the Houthis consolidating their control over parts of Yemen's Red Sea coastline near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait. Clashes in recent days have killed dozens on both sides, according to government and Houthi sources.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi military installations and energy infrastructure, while the group has reported Saudi air strikes on areas under its control. On Friday, Saudi civil defence issued an all-clear notice for the southwestern province of Jazan, minutes after warning of potential danger in the area.

Jazan hosts a Saudi Aramco refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily and has previously faced Houthi missile and drone attacks.