US downs two Iranian drones as Iran alleges radar strike

The US military said it shot down two Iranian attack drones headed toward Bahrain on Friday, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had destroyed a US early-warning radar there. The radar claim remains disputed: US Central Command said it was false, and the reports provide no independent verification of damage.

CENTCOM said the intercepted drones caused no injuries or damage. Its statement was reported by multiple accounts, which traced the information to the same US military announcement. The command did not provide further details about the interception in the reports.

The IRGC said its aerospace forces targeted the radar in retaliation for what it described as an attack on a telecommunications tower in Sirik, a port town in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province. Iranian state and semi-official media relayed the Guard’s statement. The IRGC called the alleged radar strike a warning to Washington and said it was responding to aerial aggression.

Iranian media had reported that Sirik was hit by an attack, but the reports did not establish who was responsible or provide confirmed details of damage or casualties there. The IRGC’s statement also did not directly identify...