US Disputes Iran’s Claim of Strikes on Bahrain Radar Sites Amid Renewed Gulf Attack
WHO:
Al Jazeera - Israel’s security cabinet ordered the military to increase preparations for a possible attack on Iran, according to Israeli media, including public broadcaster KAN.
Al Jazeera - Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the Strait of Hormuz would never return to its pre-war state and that “the ball is now in the American court.”
RFE/RL - US-based national security analyst Shayan Samii said Trump appeared to be pursuing a policy of “neither war nor negotiation.” Samii said sidelining JD Vance put the Iran file in the hands of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
RFE/RL - Iran’s Assembly of Experts said withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty had become an “unavoidable necessity.”
Al Jazeera - The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces shot down two drones launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Al Jazeera - The IRGC said it targeted a US early-warning radar installation in Bahrain; its claim could not be independently confirmed.
Al Jazeera - Al Jazeera correspondents Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House in Washington, DC, and Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said neither side’s account could be confirmed.
CNN - CENTCOM said the claim that Iran attacked a radar system was false and reported no injuries or damage from the two drones.
CNN - The IRGC said its aerospace forces targeted and destroyed the radar, calling the action “a serious warning” to Washington.
CNN - President Donald Trump said the US no longer needs an agreement with Iran and directed Vice President JD Vance to focus on rooting out corruption and crime in Democratic states and cities.
CNN - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructed his government to end the “state of neither war nor peace.”
Al Jazeera - Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that military bases involved in another US war against Iran, from West Asia to Europe, would be legitimate targets.
WHAT:
RFE/RL - The Wall Street Journal reported that JD Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official.
RFE/RL - Iran’s army said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, claiming the vessels had entered a “prohibited and unsafe zone.”
RFE/RL - Iran’s stated preconditions for resuming negotiations include ending the US naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and halting fighting on all fronts.
RFE/RL - Trump warned Iran “will not exist very long any longer” if it killed a senior US official.
RFE/RL - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had received death threats from the IRGC and told CNBC, “F the Iranian leadership. I'm not going to be cowered.”
CNN - Iran said it targeted a US military installation in Bahrain in retaliation for an alleged American attack on Iranian territory; CENTCOM said two Iranian drones were shot down.
Al Jazeera - The IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency said the IRGC Aerospace Force had “targeted and destroyed” the radar installation.
Al Jazeera - CENTCOM said it continues enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
CNN - Trump posted on Truth Social: “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed!” He also said, “We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!”
CNN - Lloyd’s List reported 37 vessel attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in October, the highest monthly total of the conflict, and a maritime intelligence group confirmed at least 14 more in November.
CNN - The International Energy Agency said global oil supplies were exceeding demand for the first time since the Iran war began and the market was “showing tentative signs of rebalancing.”
Al Jazeera - A Pentagon inspector general’s report said Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at US installations in eight countries, including Bahrain, during the war’s first four months.
WHERE:
RFE/RL - Sirik hosts part of Iran’s radar and communications network monitoring the Strait of Hormuz.
Al Jazeera - The alleged US attack on a telecommunications tower and the reported “enemy fire” occurred in Sirik, Hormozgan province, southern Iran; the claimed radar target was in Bahrain.
CNN - The attacks on shipping occurred in the Strait of Hormuz; Iran has threatened potential attacks on US interests as far away as Europe.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - Marco Rubio said economic pressure on Iran was working well enough that resuming large-scale military operations was unnecessary.
Al Jazeera - The IRGC said its action was retaliation for an alleged air attack on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran and a warning against aerial provocations and oil smuggling in the Strait of Hormuz.
CNN - Iran said its strike was retaliation for an alleged US attack on Iranian territory.
HOW:
CNN - The two Iranian drones were intercepted and shot down by US forces before causing injuries or damage.
Al Jazeera - The IRGC statement warned that if violations and acts of aggression recurred, its Aerospace Force was “in full readiness to engage without limits.”
(UPDATED November 14, 2026 01:04 UTC)
US forces shot down two Iranian drones, while Tehran claimed it destroyed a radar in Bahrain. The rival accounts remain disputed, as President Trump says Washington no longer needs an agreement. Iran warns the Strait of Hormuz will not return to normal, while US forces maintain their naval blockade.
--
(UPDATED November 13, 2026 19:03 UTC)
US forces shot down two Iranian drones targeting a Bahrain radar installation; no damage or injuries were reported. Iran claimed the radar was destroyed, but the United States denied the claim. President Trump said Washington no longer needs an agreement with Iran.