Politics
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for targeting a US radar installation in Bahrain,
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for targeting a US radar installation in Bahrain, just hours after US President Donald Trump declared that Washington no longer needed a deal with Tehran. In a statement issued the previous day, Trump said the United States no longer needed an agreement with Iran. He also reportedly instructed Vice President JD Vance to shift his full attention away from diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran and instead focus on tackling alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-governed US cities and states. According to Reuters, this is the first Iranian claim of an attack on US military installations in a Gulf country since early September. The claim comes at a time when the conflict between Iran and the United States appears to be experiencing a temporary pause, although tensions across the region remain high.
Iranian state media, cited by Reuters, reported that the IRGC carried out the operation in retaliation for an alleged airstrike on a telecommunications tower in Sirik County, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province. The IRGC described the targeting of the US radar installation in Bahrain as a retaliatory operation. Neither the United States nor Bahrain immediately commented on the claim. Reuters also reported that the Iranian military had claimed the previous day that it had attacked four oil tankers after they ignored warnings. The conflict between Iran and the United States began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran. The confrontation subsequently spread across the region. During the war, Iran carried out missile and drone attacks on US military bases in Gulf countries and sought to restrict maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international route for global oil and gas shipments. The United States, meanwhile, has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
According to Reuters, Trump made his statement rejecting the need for negotiations in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, the previous day. “We don't need a deal with Iran. Those days are over. The United States has already received hundreds of billions of dollars from Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz is also under its control,” Trump wrote. He said he had instructed Vance to focus instead on addressing alleged financial corruption within the United States. According to Trump, tackling widespread criminal activity in Democratic-governed cities and states could rapidly eliminate the US budget deficit. He also accused Democratic leaders of corruption. Trump made the statement as reports were emerging about possible efforts to resume diplomatic contacts aimed at ending the conflict with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal had reported a day earlier that JD Vance was considering a direct meeting with a hard-line Iranian security official. In recent weeks, Trump had suggested that Iran might become more willing to reach an agreement to end the eight-month-long war following the US elections. However, the US administration indicated this week that the naval blockade and economic sanctions against Iran were proving effective, suggesting that neither an escalation of military operations nor further diplomatic efforts were necessary. According to Reuters, the US military is maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports while also continuing efforts to ensure the safe passage of international vessels through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
According to Reuters, Vice President JD Vance has expressed reservations about the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February. In April, he led negotiations with Iranian officials in Pakistan. The talks resulted in a memorandum of understanding reached in Islamabad in June, temporarily halting the war. However, the understanding collapsed a few weeks later. Iranian state media claimed late last month that Tehran had received a letter from Vance proposing the resumption of negotiations with Washington. Trump, however, said he had not instructed the vice president to contact Iran.
On Tuesday, following talks with allied countries in Paris, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Iran’s potential demands for an agreement as absurd. He said Tehran was seeking compensation for war damages and that President Trump would not sign an unfavourable agreement. Vance is widely regarded as one of the leading potential Republican candidates for the 2028 US presidential election. Last week, the Republican Party suffered a defeat to the Democrats in the midterm elections. Following the setback, Vance appeared to distance himself from his previous position on the war with Iran. He cited the cost of the conflict as one of the reasons behind the Republicans’ electoral defeat and said his earlier advice on ending the war had been correct. Trump, meanwhile, defended his vice president’s position, reiterating that the war was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
