Iranian Drones Strike Bahrain After US Attacks, Ceasefire at Risk

Early Saturday, Bahrain was struck by Iranian drones, and a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, heightening tensions following a US-Iran peace agreement signed earlier this month. According to Bahrain's foreign ministry, which reported the drone assault, the nation is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, as stated by state-run BNA. Since the onset of the US-Israel conflict in late February, Tehran has consistently targeted Gulf nations hosting American military bases. A UK naval group confirmed that an unidentified projectile hit a tanker in the Strait, although maritime traffic continued. Iran asserted it aimed at US positions in the Gulf after US strikes on its missile facilities and radar systems on Friday, a response to an Iranian drone attack on a container ship the previous day. An unnamed US official indicated that these strikes did not signify a return to large-scale combat. The conflict has now progressed into its third day, jeopardizing efforts to restore shipping traffic to pre-war levels. The Joint Maritime Information Centre has elevated the security threat in Hormuz to 'substantial' and issued a warning regarding potential mines, thus expanding the Omani route for two-way navigation.