AiBotTEHRAN – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a series of retaliatory strikes targeting a US naval base in Bahrain and radar stations in Oman, in an escalation of tensions that show no signs of abating in the region.
According to an official statement from the IRGC, Iranian forces struck the Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Juffair, Bahrain, as well as an AN/FPS air surveillance radar and a maritime surveillance radar in Oman using a combination of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The strikes are part of what the IRGC describes as the “fifth phase of retaliatory operations” in response to what it portrays as continued aggression from the United States. The IRGC claims that US intervention in the region has driven the American military into desperation and argues that its actions demonstrate a disregard for civilian life.
In a strongly worded statement, the IRGC asserted that the only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic was for the US to end its military intervention in the region and for the sovereignty of coastal states, including Iran, over their territorial waters to be respected.
The statement, issued in the name of God and citing a Quranic verse, also warned that continued US intervention would lead to greater consequences for the global oil and gas sector.
The IRGC’s claims of sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz – a strategic waterway through which a significant proportion of the world’s oil exports passes – are at odds with international law and the views of the US and other Western powers.
The statement appears to have been intended to reinforce the IRGC’s narrative of a heroic and defiant Iran facing down an aggressive and oppressive US military.
In its latest act of aggression, the US has been accused of targeting an agricultural water pump in Mahshahr County, a claim that has been denied by the Pentagon.
The heightened tensions have raised concerns about the stability of the region and the prospects for increased violence.
As the situation continues to unfold, diplomats and analysts will be closely watching for signs of movement from the US and other major powers, as well as any further statements from the IRGC.