Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced a resumption of Iranian aggression following the latest air attacks on the Riffa Air Base. In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said the strikes launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps violated international law, adding that no pretext can legitimise violations of state sovereignty.
Bahrain also rejected the use of its territory to settle accounts and held Iran fully responsible for the attacks and their consequences. The military announced that its defence systems intercepted several aerial attacks targeting the kingdom. The Riffa Air Base is used by the United States military.
The IRGC did not comment on the latest strikes. The military branch stated on Friday that it launched an attack on a US early warning radar facility in Bahrain and destroyed it. Bahrain confirmed it intercepted two drones on that day.
Reporting from Tehran, journalist Resul Serdar said Iran had held back amid intermittent US attacks in previous weeks. In the past three days, however, Tehran has fired twice at Bahrain. Serdar explained that the US had been conducting low-intensity warfare against Iran, occasionally attacking military assets and telecommunications towers in the southern part of the country. This dynamic appears to have changed into a new rule of engagement.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei defended the attacks and accused Gulf countries of aiding US strikes against Iran. He argued that missiles, drones and aircraft launched from military bases in neighbouring countries, alongside logistical support for US forces, proved the involvement of those nations. Baghaei charged that the responsibility of these regional countries for the consequences of military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran is clear.
Tehran justified the attacks on its neighbours under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which establishes the right of states to defend themselves. Baghaei claimed that no action had been taken by Iran against the sovereignty of these countries, arguing that Tehran’s actions are purely defensive and have targeted only US military bases and assets used to attack Iran.
Regional reactions followed the escalation. Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates published a post on X condemning Iran’s brutal attacks on Bahrain as a flagrant violation of sovereignty and a threat to security, stability and territorial integrity.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the country reiterates its categorical rejection of attacks threatening the stability of the region. The Egyptian statement added that the security of Bahrain and the Gulf states is closely linked to Egyptian national security and forms a pillar of Arab national security.
