Iranian drones attack Bahrain and a ship is struck in the strait after US airstrikes on Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian A ship in the Strait of Hormuz was separately attacked on Saturday as it launched a drone strike targeting Bahrain; probably Tehran’s reaction to this US night air strikes.
Attacks in the Persian Gulf show the danger that the Iran war could spiral out of control again, even after Iran and the United States reach an agreement. an interim agreement to reach agreement on a final agreement to end the conflict.
The US launched airstrikes in response Iran’s drone attack on a ship It continues a series of attacks that have shaken the uneasy ceasefire in the war as it tries to exit the strait on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a multinational maritime agency overseen by the U.S. Navy said Saturday it would widen a route near Oman in the strait to allow both inbound and outbound traffic, possibly creating a new flashpoint with Tehran.
Bahrain condemns Iran’s drone attack
It was probably no coincidence that Iran targeted Bahrain. The kingdom is one of Iran’s biggest critics and is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. He recently hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers meetingThe meeting ended with a call to end Iran’s attacks and completely open the strait.
In the statement made by Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that “a number of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles” targeted the country. He called the attack “a clear threat to the security of citizens and residents.”
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards said early Saturday that it had targeted various locations of the “US terrorist army in the region” in a statement published by the state-run IRNA news agency.
It was not specified which regions were targeted.
The US military’s Central Command said the military hit Iranian missile and drone positions and coastal radar sites in night strikes.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, who is leading American negotiations with Iran, said on social media Friday night that Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements over the ceasefire agreement.
“But violence will be met with violence,” Vance said.
The United States and Iran are still negotiating the terms of the deal, including issues such as moving ships through the key strait and addressing Iran’s future. Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. Under the tentative agreement, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.
The ship is attacked as the Bosphorus route expands
Meanwhile, the British army’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center said that a tanker was attacked in the strait on Saturday, the crew was safe and no damage to the environment was reported. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran.
Immediately after the ship attack report, the Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, said the route near the coast of Oman had widened to allow for both incoming and outgoing traffic.
Iran insisted that ships must comply with the orders and warned that it would start charging fees for passage through the strait, through which a fifth of oil and natural gas once passed. However, in recent days, ships have been trying to leave the Gulf, causing Iran’s anger.
Ibrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, wrote on Friday: “The Strait of Hormuz is governed by Iran, so: Respect the rules.”
The United States and Gulf Arab countries rejected Iran’s demands. Although the Strait is the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, it is recognized worldwide as an international waterway.
In its announcement, the Joint Maritime Information Center warned that the threat to ships in the region was “significant”.
“Sailors are informed about the existence of mines and should expect the presence of naval forces while clearing operations continue,” the statement said.
