Iranian Drone Strikes on Bahrain Threaten a Fragile Ceasefire Deal
Iran launched drone strikes against Bahrain on Saturday, escalating tensions just days after a ceasefire memorandum was signed between the U.S. and Iran. The attack came as American negotiators continue pressing for a broader peace deal, casting fresh doubt on whether the agreement can hold.
Read more: What Americans Think of the U.S.-Iran Deal, According to Polls
The latest round of hostilities follows Iran's strike on a Singapore-flagged commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Since then, both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire memorandum signed last week.
On Friday, the U.S. Central Command responded with what it described as “a powerful response,” targeting Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites. Iran quickly condemned the U.S. strikes, arguing that Washington not only bombed its surveillance positions but also violated the deal by allowing Israel to continue its military operations in southern Lebanon — a key condition for ending hostilities.
Bahrain’s state media reported that the drone attacks caused “minor structural damage to several buildings and infrastructure,” though no casualties were recorded. The country’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes on Saturday, calling them a “flagrant violation” of Bahraini sovereignty and “a serious threat” to international norms.
Bahrain houses a major U.S. naval base and is one of several Gulf nations — including Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — that have faced Iranian drone or missile attacks since the conflict escalated in late February. The presence of U.S. military assets in these countries has made them recurring targets.
It remains unclear how the military actions on both sides will affect ongoing negotiations in Switzerland. On Friday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance posted on social media that “violence will be met with violence,” directly referencing Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” Vance wrote on X.
Just a week ago, the U.S. and Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days toll-free as part of a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries. Ships began moving again through the critical waterway, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas pass annually.
While an alternative route near Oman is being expanded for inbound and outbound traffic, throughput through the Strait remains below prewar levels due to lingering volatility. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an oil tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait, sustaining damage to its bridge but no injuries. The perpetrator remains unknown.
As some vessels began seeking alternative routes outside Tehran’s approved corridors, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning Thursday for ships to “strictly refrain from any movement outside the designated routes.” Hours later, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship was struck in the Strait.
The broader conflict with Iran erupted four months ago when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint operation targeting hundreds of sites in Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of top officials. Tehran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones at Israel and other regional states. The confrontation has deepened instability across the Middle East and heightened uncertainty over global energy supplies, with analysts warning that further disruptions could push oil prices sharply higher.