Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reports it targeted and destroyed a US early-warning radar in Bahrain. This marks the first direct Iranian attack on US military installations for months. The strike responds to a US airstrike on a communications tower in Sirik, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC stated, "This is a serious warning to the aggressor enemy to end its aerial mischief and oil smuggling in the strait of Hormuz." They added that their aerospace force remains on full alert to confront the enemy without constraint if violations continue.
Conflicting accounts and diplomatic shifts
US Central Command denied the radar was destroyed. Instead, US forces intercepted two Iranian drones headed for Bahrain. Donald Trump told media outlets over the past 24 hours that he will attack Iran only if necessary. He claimed Gulf states like Saudi Arabia urged him to hold back from planned large-scale strikes. Trump also instructed Vice President JD Vance to drop his interest in negotiating a new deal with Iran. Vance should focus instead on corruption and fraud in Democrat-run cities and states. Iranians previously viewed Vance as the most trustworthy figure close to Trump, but they rejected his request for a personal meeting to discuss peace terms. Vance had been at the forefront of Republicans blaming the war for widespread losses in the midterms. Trump expressed disappointment in the American public because higher diesel prices were a small price to pay for preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Political fallout and nuclear review
A YouGov poll for the Council for Arab-British Understanding found 65% of the British public oppose the US resuming the war in Iran. Only 14% would back it. The survey also showed 54% oppose UK bases being used by the US to mount attacks on Iran. Chris Doyle, director of Caabu, noted that 79% of 2024 Labour voters oppose further war. Meanwhile, Iran’s Assembly of Experts called for a review of the country’s defence doctrine. This body of 88 elected jurists described reviewing Iran’s membership in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as an "unavoidable necessity". The move potentially leads to religious permission for Iran to try to acquire a nuclear weapon. The UN nuclear inspectorate expressed alarm over Iran’s refusal to allow access to design information or inspections of the Isfahan facility. Inspectors do not know the exact location of the Isfahan uranium enrichment facility or whether it contains nuclear materials.
