Iran says it destroyed US unmanned depot, AI center in Bahrain

Iran's army said Friday that it targeted American military facilities in the Gulf states of Jordan and Kuwait with attack drones, and claimed there were explosions at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the army said the strikes took place during the 14th phase of its Operation Thunder. It said drones struck an ammunition depot at the Al-Adire camp and buildings, ammunition storage facilities, and communication links at the Al-Salem base in Kuwait. The statement also said fuel tanks at the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan were targeted. Separately, Tasnim cited Arab sources to report powerful explosions at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain following Iranian attacks. The Iranian army described Al-Adire, Al-Salem, and Al-Azraq as key US logistical and operational hubs, warning that any country seeking to challenge Iran's resolve would face the "unwavering" readiness of its armed forces. Early Saturday, the state-run IRNA news agency reported that the army had launched the 15th phase of Operation Lightning, targeting what it described as US military facilities at Bahrain's Sheikh Isa Air Base with attack drones. According to the report, the strikes targeted aircraft hangars and parking areas, fuel tanks, and several communications links at the base, which Iran described as one of the US military's main operational and logistical hubs for air and naval forces in the region. The army said the operation was carried out in response to what it called "the crimes of global arrogance" and in memory of those killed, particularly in Iran's southern regions. For its part, Bahrain's Interior Ministry issued several warnings on US social media platform X and said: "The siren has been sounded." "Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," it added. Regional tensions have escalated over the Strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran continue exchanging attacks despite a Pakistani-brokered framework agreement signed last month to end the war and reach a lasting peace deal.