Iranian drones attack Bahrain and ship struck in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has launched a drone assault on Bahrain while a ship in the Strait of Hormuz separately came under attack on Saturday – a likely response by Tehran to overnight air strikes by the United States.

The attacks across the Persian Gulf show the danger of the Iran war again spinning out of control, even after Iran and the US reached an interim deal ahead of a final accord to end the conflict.

The US had launched its air strikes in response to an Iranian drone attack on a ship trying to get out of the strait on Thursday, continuing a string of attacks that have shaken the uneasy ceasefire in the war.

Meanwhile, a multinational maritime body overseen by the US Navy said on Saturday that it would expand a route near Oman in the strait to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic – likely setting up a new flashpoint with Tehran.

That Iran targeted Bahrain is not coincidental. The kingdom has been one of the strongest critics of Iran and is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.

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It recently hosted US secretary of state Marco Rubio for a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s foreign ministers, which ended with a call for an end to Iran’s attacks and the strait to be completely open.

A statement from Bahrain’s foreign ministry said a “number of Iranian drones” targeted the country, without specifying the target.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier on Saturday issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency saying it had targeted several locations “of the US terrorist army in the region”.

The US military’s Central Command said the military struck Iranian missile and drone locations and coastal radar sites in the overnight strikes.

US vice president JD Vance, who has led the American negotiations with Iran, said on social media on Friday night that Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements about the ceasefire agreement.

“But violence will be met with violence,” Mr Vance said.

A tanker also came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said the ship’s crew was safe and no environmental damage was reported.

No-one immediately claimed the attack. However, Iran attacked a ship on Thursday off Oman trying to get out of the Persian Gulf.

Just after the report of the ship attack, the Joint Maritime Information Centre, overseen by the US Navy, said the route near Oman’s shores is expanding to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic.

Iran has insisted ships must obey its orders and is warning it will start charging fees for transit through the strait, through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas once passed.

The US and Gulf Arab states have rejected Iran’s demands. The strait is considered around the world as an international waterway, despite being the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.